The Royal Commoner
by Amnestyyy
Summary: [AU] Anna is but a simple commoner, looking forward to the Queen's visit to her village. Little does she know that it will mark the start of some very interesting events. Elsanna (non-incest) (Rating might change later on)
1. Chapter 1

I feel like I should maybe say that I do not own Frozen? Well, I don't, so there you have it :)

Also, this story is going to contain Elsanna (non incest) so if you don't like that, you're probably not going to enjoy this story...

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

"Anna!"

_No… No… Just a little while longer…_

"Anna!"

_It's getting hard to ignore now…_

"Anna! Where are you?"

The redheaded girl opened her eyes with a deep sigh. She'd been taking advantage of the rare chance to unwind. It had been far too long since she had been able to take a nap in her favourite tree, perched onto one of the thicker branches of the large tree.

"Over here!" she shouted, replying to the distant voice. Distant, yes, but not distant enough. She listened as the sound of her grumbling brother came closer, breaking twigs underfoot and chasing all the animals out of the forest.

_I swear he's as subtle as Sven sometimes..._

"Anna! Where in heaven's name are you?"

"Up here, Kristoff!"

Her brother, large of posture with wild blond hair covering his head, craned his neck backwards, peering through the foliage to find his little sister. "Anna, come down before you hurt yourself! Dad wouldn't forgive me, you know that..."

Anna huffed audibly, but nimbly made her way down the tree nonetheless. "You know I never hurt myself, you big oaf. I'm a picture of sophisticated grace, remember?"

Kristoff merely chuckled, rubbing his neck with one of his large hands. "Sure, _your grace_. Whatever you say. Sorry to interrupt whatever you were doing up there, but dad wants us to come home and prepare for _you-know-what_."

Actually, Anna didn't know. She had the feeling that she should know, but she found herself absolutely clueless. Apparently, her face betrayed as much, as Kristoff chuckled warmly.

"You actually forgot didn't you? The reason we've been working like horses these past few days? The reason you actually had the time to sit up there?"

Anna felt the blood rushing to her face at her brother's question. For a moment, she contemplated denying it, but only until she realized that would surely backfire.

"Yeah, maybe I did. So remind me!"

"The Queen's visit?"

Now Anna remembered. "Come on, Kristoff, what are you waiting for?" she yelled over her shoulder while running off towards home. The blonde boy merely let out an exhausted breath before giving chase, Anna not paying him any attention anymore.

How could she have forgotten? Of course the Queen was arriving in their village later today. Queen Elsa had only been crowned Queen of Arendelle a few weeks ago, and as part of a large public campaign, she was now visiting all the cities and villages in her kingdom. The messenger that had announced it had called it 'getting to know the kingdom and its inhabitants,' but Anna didn't expect that much of it. Nevertheless, to get a chance to catch a glimpse of the elusive queen... It was not an opportunity she was going to pass up. She'd heard so much about her. People said she was the most beautiful woman in all of Arendelle, and even the surrounding kingdoms. But then again, they also said she could conjure ice from her hands, so maybe she should take everything with a pinch of salt...

Before she knew it, she had arrived at the edge of the forest. She quickly clambered over the fence that separated their home from the forest. She took a deep breath as she looked around the fields around her, chest swelling a little with pride. The farm didn't _usually _look as clean and well organized as it did now, but she didn't allow that to get her down...

Oaken Farm was the largest farm of Hellmark, the village where Anna lived with her father and brother. She had been born here, and raised on the farm, helping out with the animals and the harvest as she grew older. Yes, it was a life of hard work, but she enjoyed being busy, and the physicality of the work never bothered her.

"Yoo hoo! Anna! Kristoff! You need to get ready, ya?" a voice boomed over the fields. Anna smiled and waved in acknowledgement at the large figure standing in front of one of the barn doors. Her father really was a massive man. Maybe that's why everyone in the village had so much respect for him. Everyone practically considered him the mayor of the village... then again, maybe that was because their farm provided most of the food around these parts, Anna wasn't really sure.

After making sure Kristoff had actually managed to find his way out of the woods, Anna ran to their house, a small two-story cottage made out of stone, with a roof made out of straw, and clambered up the flimsy stairs to get to her room. She knew the queen would probably just be riding through the village in the royal carriage, but she wanted to make sure she looked her best nonetheless.

Pulling open the closet, she was faced with a massive problem. "This dress looks like the sacks we use to store our potatoes," she muttered under her breath, throwing the piece of clothing on the ground next to her. "This one has hole in it, which I really need to fix. Maybe this one? Oh, no, it has a large smudge on it from that time I slipped while feeding the horses... I should've washed it out immediately after... I don't think that stain is ever going to get out now..." It took her nearly half an hour to finally settle on her outfit, settling on a simple green dress with a black bodice. It was the best thing she had, and she'd only worn it once during a holiday dinner.

She made her way over to the cracked mirror hanging on the wall and started pulling her brush through the wild mane that her hair had become. Without further thought, she crafted her usual two braided pigtails. As an afterthought, she took two green ribbons from the only drawer in her desk and tied those in her hair as well.

_Perfect... Or at least, as perfect as it's going to be._

When she came downstairs again, she found her father and brother already waiting for her. They had both exchanged their dirty outfits for clean ones, only a little more decent than their regular wear. Kristoff whistled as Anna jumped off the last step of the stairs.

"Well, look at you, feisty-pants! You look like a real lady. Better be careful the royal party doesn't accidentally take you with them!"

Anna blushed slightly, giving her brother a little pout.

"You look beautiful, Anna," her father smiled gently. Kristoff nodded in the affirmative, agreeing with his father wholeheartedly.

They both sat down to wait until noon, which would be when the queen would arrive, but Anna couldn't find the peace to sit around quietly. She bustled through their little home, putting random stuff away in cupboards, before taking them out again and putting them away somewhere else.

When it was finally time to leave, the three casually sauntered to the village's central square. If you could even call it that. Technically, it was a slightly broader street than the rest, making it the most suitable spot for large gatherings. On their way, they were greeted by the other villagers they passed. After all, everyone knew the Oaken family. They found a relatively quiet spot in front of the bakery, from where they would be able to see the carriage.

After what appeared to be an eternity, Anna finally saw the carriage coming up the hill, pulled by four large, white horses, looking much more majestic than any of their own horses. The carriage itself was even more impressive, and appeared to be made out of gold entirely. On its sides, the Arendelle symbol had been painted – a green crocus in front of a large, white snowflake. Anna could hardly suppress a squeal when the carriage came to a halt, and a portly man in a fine suit stepped out, motioning for silence.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Her Royal Majesty Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" he spoke, not quite shouting, but being loud enough for everyone to hear him. As soon as the Queen stepped out of the carriage, Anna felt her breath hitching in her throat.

_Well, damn. She may not be able to shoot ice out of her hands, but I bet she _is_ the most beautiful woman in the kingdom_. Evidently, Anna was not the only one who thought so, as she saw several of the men in the crowd swooning. _And who could blame them?_

Anna couldn't help herself. She _had_ to stare. The Queen was long and slim. She had curves exactly there were men found them desirable, and Anna felt a pang of jealousy rising up from her stomach. And that long, platinum blonde hair, neatly wrapped up in a tight bun at the back of her head. And that dress, light blue and shimmering as if it were covered in jewels...

The Queen stood proudly on the makeshift stage, allowing her gaze to wander over the crowd, sometimes lingering on a face or group of people. Anna had never given the Royal House much thought. Why would she, after all? They never came to Hellmark anyway. Of course, news of the untimely death of the King and Queen had reached the village, but no one was really fazed by it. Anna was certain that, at this moment, she could not be more awed by the presence of her Queen. And then it happened.

The Queen turned her head, her eyes shifting from the right side of the crowd to the centre. Anna could practically feel her gaze moving over her, further to the right, and then back. Before she could prepare, her eyes suddenly locked with the icy blue gaze of Queen Elsa. The Queen continued staring at Anna for what felt like an eternity to Anna. When she finally shifted her eyes away, Anna couldn't help but feel mushy on the inside... and more than a little disappointed.

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><p>The Queen sat in her carriage, alternating between rubbing her temples and pinching the bridge of her nose. Kai, her head servant, had just told her they would be arriving in the village of Hellmark in a few minutes. Frankly, she just wanted to go home. She understood the importance of visiting the outlying cities and villages, especially after the neglect they suffered from her parents, but that did not make the journey any more enjoyable.<p>

When the carriage slowly came to a halt, Elsa peeked out of the window. Hellmark was a small village, no more than a hundred villagers. Kai looked at her with raised eyebrows, and Elsa nodded her head in reply, wiping the fatigue and annoyance off her face as he opened the door and stepped outside to announce her. Once he had done so, she gracefully stepped outside, smiling at the cheers from the crowd. She didn't motion them for silence, taking the opportunity to scan the crowd.

She started on one side, and quickly came to the conclusion that the village consisted mostly of farmers and craftsmen. _Well, at least there are no nobles around these parts_. She shifted her eyes to the other side of the crowd, only to suddenly jerk her gaze back to the centre. _Surely my eyes betrayed me..._ _Or not_, she thought, looking at the largest man she'd seen in her life. She was certain that he could lift her with a single hand. Only then did she notice the girl standing next to him, and for a moment, everything around her seemed to disappear.

She knew it was unprofessional, but those blue eyes kept her own imprisoned in their own little world. She only faintly noticed the red hair, the freckles on her cheeks, and the simple but elegant dress. Only when Kai audibly cleared his throat did the Queen snap back to attention, clearing her own throat as well.

"Citizens of Hellmark," she started, knowing her speech by heart now that she performed it for the umpteenth time. "I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle, daughter of King Agdar and Queen Idun. I am grateful to be welcomed in your village. I realize that my parents, bless their souls, hardly ever left the capital. Many you have suffered under that negligence, but I intend to set that right. I want to know what goes on in my kingdom, and in the lives of my citizens. I want to help where there's trouble, and I want all of you to know that I have your best interests at heart. Thank you."

Her eyes quickly darted back to the red headed, blue-eyed, green-dressed woman at the back, before she turned away to step off the stage and walk towards Kai.

"We'll be staying here tonight," she muttered.

"Your Majesty, we're supposed to visit the village of Northelm tonight," the portly servant interjected.

Elsa merely shook her head. "Send a messenger ahead to let them know we'll be arriving tomorrow at noon."

"Of course, Your Majesty. But, if I may, we do not have food and shelter arranged here."

Elsa hadn't thought of that, but she was remarkably good at thinking on her feet. "Ask the citizens if they have room and food for us. Also, let them know I'd like to speak to those that want to, and arrange a proper meeting place, if you could."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

"Oh, and Kai? I'm sorry for all the extra work. I just don't feel I can take the 'two-villages-a-day-routine' anymore."

"That's quite alright, Your Majesty. What else would I be here for?" Kai smiled jovially.

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><p>Anna sat in her chair, her feet placed on the table, and leaning backwards, causing the chair to dangerously balance on two legs. Anna didn't care. In fact, she didn't even notice. She was too deep in thought. <em>Those blue eyes<em>.

She was trying to convince herself that she had been mistaken. Of course the Queen hadn't been staring at _her_. It had been the other way around. Surely her mind had played a trick on her, causing her to believe those abnormally blue eyes rested on her for such an extended period of time. Anna had to admit, though, it had been a very good trick. Good enough to have her thinking about it for five hours straight.

Kristoff, who was trying to patch a hole in one of his pants, occasionally glanced over to his sister. She had been eerily quiet for too long. Usually, she'd be bustling around the house, spewing out a waterfall of random words, or working outside. A spell of silence like this one was extremely uncommon for the little redhead. In fact, he was starting to become a little worried. Before there was any time to ponder on it, though, the household was startled by three gentle knocks on the front door.

Oaken, who had been dicing up vegetables at the small counter, made his way to the door, both of his children looking on. As soon as he opened the door, Anna gasped audibly, seeing the servant who had announced the Queen, standing right there, on their front porch.

"Ya, what can I do for you?" Oaken asked politely.

The Queen's servant smiled humbly. "The Queen has decided to stay in Hellmark for the night, and I've been tasked with finding suitable accommodations. We've been told that this is the largest farm in the village?"

"Correct, ya," Oaken beamed back, hardly trying to hide his pride.

"Would it be possible to house some of our guards in one of your barns tonight?"

"We have two barns empty, right Kristoff? Men can stay there, hm?"

Kristoff merely nodded. Watching as the servant opened his mouth again. "Marvellous, marvellous. That leaves me with only one question. Would you mind the Queen dining with you and your family tonight?"

The following silence was only broken when Anna let out a cry of shock and pain as she hid the ground, the chair having tumbled backwards because of her spastic movement. Neither her brother nor her father paid her any mind, staring at the servant as if he had suddenly grown an extra head and three tails.

"Of course, if you would rather not, we'd arrange something different," the servant started.

Oaken quickly shook his head, opening the door a little wider. "We'd be honoured, really. But as you can see, we do not have much room, ya? Nothing like Her Majesties palace. And the food here is simple, hm? No palace food."

The servant merely smiled. "Her Majesty is aware of the fact that she won't be enjoying her usual comforts. She feels it will enable her to get closer to the people."

"We'd be honoured to host our Queen, most certainly," Oaken replied sheepishly. The servant nodded with a satisfied smirk. "Good, good. Would an hour and a half from now be acceptable?"

"Ya, definitely."

The servant nodded and turned to walk away, only to be stopped by a certain outburst behind him.

"Wait!"

He turned around again, seeing a young woman sprawled out on the ground, her face as red as her hair.

"I mean... Could you please wait a moment, sir? I was thinking- Or well... I wanted to ask... Not that it's any of my business, but er... Yeah, so... Where will the Queen be sleeping, exactly?"

The servant raised his eyebrows slightly, before knitting them together in a frown. "We have not yet found suitable accommodations for Her Majesty."

"Oh... Oh! Because we have like, totally room. Spare room. Upstairs. Like, no one's there. Now. Or later. Like tonight. And privacy. I mean, she'd have privacy. And stuff. Very clean, too. Totally not a mess. Like, at all. Nope sir! No mess upstairs."

Anna was very aware of her tendency to babble and ramble when she became nervous. Around the farm, it didn't happen all too often, luckily. Anna was usually quite comfortable around other people, but royalty was another thing entirely.

She servant seemed to think for a moment, before nodding. "I'm certain the Queen will be happy to spend the night here, if that's okay with you?"

Oaken and Kristoff merely nodded, after which the servant mirrored the motion and walked off again. Once the door was closed, Kristoff turned towards his little sister.

"You _are_ aware of the fact we _don't_ have a spare room, right?"

Luckily for Anna, it was not possible for her face to become more red than it already was. She nodded frantically, scrambling up from the floor. "I know!"

"So...?"

"She can sleep in my room," Anna blurted out. "I'll find another place to sleep. Not the barns, because there will be soldiers sleeping in the barns. Oh, and we need to clean! And dinner. Father, will you be making dinner?"

Oaken was already back at the counter, cutting up the vegetables with renewed vigour. The next hour was spent cleaning the small cottage, with Anna paying special attention to her bedroom. She put the mess of clothes back in her closet, opened the window to let in fresh air, replaced the linens on the bed, got rid of the clutter on her desk, and made sure there wasn't a speck of dust on any surface.

By the time she came back downstairs, the small dining table had been set for four, their best plates and cutlery on full display, and the entire cottage smelled of fresh vegetables and roasted meat. Kristoff just emerged from the cellar, holding a dusty bottle of wine, while Oaken still stood at the counter, performing some final adjustments to the food. The tension in the house was palpable as they awaited their royal guest.

Kristoff sat in the corner, occasionally throwing carrots out of the window to his pet reindeer, Sven, who had been moved out of sight. "Who would've thought... the Queen... dining... here... with us... Good, little old us... Hehe... That'll be some story to tell our children..."

All three residents of the cottage jumped notably when there was knocking at the door. Oaken opened it slowly, as if he were second-guessing his decision to host the Queen in his humble abode. When he opened the door, the portly servant stood in front of it, flanked by two armed guards. Once Oaken stepped aside, the two guards entered the house, scanning around the room for possible threats, before turning back to the servant and nodding.

The servant stepped aside to reveal the radiant form of the young Queen. Anna couldn't help but gawk. She still wore the sparkly blue dress, but her hair had been released from its bun, now casually draped over her shoulder in a singly French braid. She smiled shyly at the three commoners. _What an odd twist of fate that I would run into _her_ of all people_.

"Good evening," she smiled. "I understand I will be dining and sleeping here. Thank you very much for your generosity."

"The pleasure is all ours, hm?" Oaken replied cordially, eyeing the guards slightly.

Kai whispered something to the Queen, who nodded in reply. The servant then turned on his heels and walked off.

"Can I... Can I come in?" the Queen asked somewhat hesitantly.

"Oh, ya! Of course."

The Queen smiled warmly as she stepped into the small house. She then turned towards the two guards, still flanking the door. "You can wait outside."

"But Your Majesty-"

"I'm not in any danger here, gentlemen," she interrupted, her tone indicating that there was to be no discussion. Once they were outside and the door had been closed, the Queen looked at her hosts again. "I'm sorry about them. They're just doing their work..."

"Of course, of course," Kristoff immediately murmured. "Here, please. Take a seat. Dinner's ready to be served, if that suits you?" He pulled out one of the chairs, which the royal gracefully took.

"Thank you. But really, I'm your guest tonight. I will be the one adapting to you, not the other way around."

Once they were all seated around the dining table, Oaken revealed the food, simple meat and vegetables, with an apologetic smile. "It's not much, but-"

"It looks absolutely delicious," the Queen interrupted before her host could apologize. "I didn't give you much time to work with."

The first few minutes of dinner were tense and awkward, no one feeling comfortable enough to speak. Anna, however, was not someone who dealt well with awkward silences. Especially now, with such a goddess sitting across the table from her. Frankly, five hours of thinking had not been enough to clear her mind from some of the confusing thoughts and feelings the Queen had sparked. "So, Your Majesty the Royal Queen..." she started, not entirely sure what she was going to say, and blushing at the tiny smile that graced the Queen's lips. "I'm Anna." _Way to go. Like she cares about your name. She just wants to eat in peace. Just shut up._ "That's my brother Kristoff, and my father Asger, but everyone just calls him Oaken." _Way to shut up, Anna. Really, great job you did there._

To her surprise, the Queen actually smiled at her. "Pleasure to meet you all. In the heat of the moment, I actually forgot the proper introduction etiquette. My name's Elsa, but I suspect you were aware of that."

"Right! Etiquette. We don't usually do that stuff. Not that it's not important! Oh no! It really is... We just don't do it. I don't mean to say we're not civilized people, because we are, but not as civilized as you. You're civilization incarnate! We're cavemen compared to you."

"Anna!" Kristoff grumbled, interrupting her rambling.

"Right. Sorry. I tend to talk when I get nervous. Like, a lot. There's no stopping my mouth sometimes. It just keeps going and going and now I'm doing it again and I'm shutting up now sorry." Anna took a bite from her food to prevent herself from continuing her embarrassing babbling.

The Queen raised her hand to her mouth, covering it to hide a small smile. "That's quite fine, Anna. I imagine the Queen coming to dinner nearly unannounced would put most people on edge."

The remainder of dinner was filled with the Queen telling stories from previous villages and cities she had visited, as well as Anna and Kristoff recalling some of their childhood antics, none of which failed to bring a smile to the Queen's beautiful lips.

Sometime after dinner, there was another knock at the door. Oaken opened it, only to find his front porch swarmed with Royal Guards and servants. "Good evening, sir. We were told we could spend the night in your barns?"

Oaken nodded happily, sending Kristoff with them to show them the barns. Once he returned, looking considerably more exhausted than when he had left, the Queen immediately asked whether everyone had been able to fit in the barns. After Kristoff had replied in the affirmative, the Queen seemed to relax somewhat.

"If it is not too much trouble, I would like to retire for the night, now. I'll have to rise early tomorrow if we want to reach Northelm by noon tomorrow."

"Of course!" Oaken boomed, louder than necessary. "Anna will show you your room, ya?"

Anna blushed a scarlet red when she led the Queen up to the second floor, down the narrow hallway, and into her bedroom.

"I'm afraid this is the best we have to offer, Your Majesty," she mumbled shyly.

"It's perfect, Anna," the Queen replied without missing a beat. "It doesn't look like a spare room, though..."

That took Anna by surprise. "Well, uh, yeah... It's actually my room, but I'm not sleeping here. Tonight. Obviously, since you are. Your Majesty! If you want to, of course."

The Queen frowned slightly. "If I sleep in your room, then where do you sleep?"

"Don't worry about that! We've got everything covered!" Anna replied hastily, waving her hands around frantically.

The Queen seemed hesitant, but nodded after a short moment. "Very well. Thank you, Anna."

Anna, understanding that she was no longer needed, turned towards the door. Before closing it behind her, however, she turned back. "Uhm... Goodnight, Queen Elsa."

_You weren't supposed to call her that! What happened to 'Your Majesty'? You can't just go and call her by her name, you dimwit!_

"Goodnight, Anna," Elsa replied with a warm smile gracing her beautiful features.

Anna couldn't help but smile in return. The dopey grin hadn't disappeared yet when she came downstairs, where Kristoff and her father were cleaning the dishes.

"So, feisty-pants... Did you figure out where you're going to sleep yet?"

"Yup!" Anna chirped in reply, grabbing a sleeping bag from underneath the stairs. "I'm going to go camping!"

"You go to sleep now, ya? Kristoff and I will clean up. Rise early tomorrow! Seeing the Queen off, hm?"

"Of course, father," Anna smiled, waving as she made her way out of the door. It was a warm night, much to Anna's relief. After a while, she found a suitable spot to place her sleeping bag, and she started making herself comfortable, blissfully unaware of the pale blonde looking at her from the second-floor window while she slowly drifted asleep.

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><p>This story came to me pretty randomly, and I'm still working on the details of the overal plot (Oh my! There will be plot? Yes, there will be plot!... I think). I planned to write the entire story before posting anything, but I was sort of hoping to get some feedback. After all, if no one will be reading it, it's a bit of a shame to spend all my time on writing it, no matter how much I'd enjoy it.<p>

So yes, please do let me know what you think of it so far. If you have ideas or suggestions, please do send them. If you know any good jokes, those are also welcome. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh my, oh my, oh my. So much praise and attention from y'all, it makes my heart beat a little too fast, I think. It also makes me very scared for letting you down with this chapter, or later ones... Then again, not updating would probably be worse, so here it is. I feel I need to get a few general things out there before I start addressing some of the reviews I got: at the moment, I'm not sure where this story is going to take me, and I do not have any advance chapters prepared. Hence, I'm not really capable of giving timeframes on my updates. If you feel I'm not fast enough, shoot me a PM and I'll see if I can remedy the situation. Now then, on to answering a few of my reviews:**

**Jahaira: Thank you for your kind words. I love how you predicted Elsa's reaction spot-on. As for Olaf, he will be in the story, but not for sometime longer. As for Hans... well, I have a somewhat different role for him in store than usual. :)**

** AlwaysThere4U: Thank you! I'm glad you like my other story as well. As for the "part of 1st 100 reviewers," I really doubt there'll be that many :p**

**t3l4m0n: Well, Hans is here! But like I said above, I have a different role in store for him than usual. Won't spoil anything though. As for the drama: I'm a louzy drama author (I think) but there will be a tiny little bit. Won't cover more than 1 or 2 chapters though, and will be quite light. Not much to worry about! :)**

**And in general I'd like to thank everyone who commented on me catching the essence of the characters quite well. It's one of the biggest compliments I can imagine, since they essentially make up the story. Basically, I just access two different parts of my mind when writing Elsa and Anna, since I recognise both the rambling dork and the stoic Ice Queen in myself from time to time.**

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><p><em>Anna stood at the village square again, watching as the Queen stepped out of the carriage. She looked around the crowd with her icy blue eyes, seemingly taking in every single countenance before her. Eventually, after what felt like a century, their eyes locked, the Queen's widening slightly.<em>

_Before Anna knew what happened, the Queen had waved her servants off and climbed down the stage. The crowd slowly parted in front of her with every slow step she took. With every stride the Queen came closer to Anna. Closer. Closer still. She felt her father and brother stepping away from her, a circle of intrigued citizens forming around her and the Queen. She's standing right in front of Anna now, but not slowing down._

_Before Anna could do anything consciously, she felt the Queen's cold fingers caressing her cheek, moving to her ear, and further to the back of her head, softly gripping her red hair. She felt the other hand snaking around her waist, pulling her closer to the royal beauty in front of her. There was barely enough time for Anna to catch a glimpse of blue eyes before their lips locked together, the Queen engaging in a sweet and passionate kiss._

_Anna didn't know what she had expected, but this was certainly not it. She'd never even thought about women like this. Her feelings were still a jumble, but she felt herself returning the kiss nonetheless. She couldn't help it... It just felt right_. _The Queen pulled back far too soon for her liking. As she looked at the woman in her arms, a bright light suddenly shone in her face. The Queen smiled ruefully, and Anna was about to ask what was wrong when everything suddenly faded._

Anna grumbled under her breath, keeping her eyes firmly closed in hopes of blocking the sunlight out. When she realized that didn't work, she slowly sat up, wondering for a moment why the sun was even shining in her face.

_Oh, right. Camping. The Queen... The Queen!_

The dream suddenly flooded her mind again, making her wonder what that was all about. She felt the blood rushing to her cheeks as she thought about it, not entirely sure what to think.

"Well, that was intense," she muttered to herself, rubbing her forehead.

"Pleasant dreams?" a voice suddenly rang from behind her. Anna immediately turned her head, causing her neck to make a cracking sound, which she ignored in favour of the Queen sitting on the grass next to her, an amused but decidedly non-royal smirk on her face.

"What? No! I mean, yes! Very, but- I- What? I mean, what are you doing here?" Anna's face turned into an even deeper shade of crimson, a feat she had thought impossible. "Your Majesty!" she added as an afterthought.

To her surprise, the Queen only presented her with a small smile, her royal air quickly returning to her. "Well, I couldn't very well leave without apologising for chasing you out of your room, could I? Really, you shouldn't have slept out here on my account."

"Nonsense! It was totally worth it for getting you in my bed. Wait, what? That came out wrong. I'm not as creepy as that sounded, really. But why would you believe me? All I've been doing is rambling and embarrassing myself, and-"

"Anna," the Queen interrupted. "I don't think you're a creep. And while I feel guilty about stealing your room like that, I am also very grateful. Me and my men will be leaving in half an hour. If you want to see us off with your father and brother, you should probably go and get ready."

Anna looked around, only now realising that guards and servants were running around the farm like ants, occasionally shooting an odd glance at her and the Queen, sitting in the middle of the field. She couldn't blame them, really.

Unlike her normal mornings, during which Anna needed at least an hour to look somewhat presentable, she managed to run through her morning routine in exactly half an hour, after which she and her family made their way to the square, where the royal carriage still stood waiting. Half the crowd that had been there yesterday had massed together again, wanting to see the Queen off.

She already stood on the makeshift stage, her royal aura lingering around her, but appearing approachable and human nonetheless. "Good citizens of Hellmark. It is time for me to move on, but not before thanking you for the kindness you have shown me and my men. Had it not been for you, our stay here would not have been possible. You gave us food and shelter, and for that you all have my thanks. Once I return to the capital, I will see to addressing the issues that some of you have raised with me yesterday. Hellmark is far from the capital, but I want you to know that if ever there is a need here, you need only send word to my palace. I left carrier pigeons at Oaken Farm to carry your messages."

The crowd, small as it was, cheered and applauded loudly, Anna supplying her own voice to the tumult as well. She'd never met the old king and queen, but she felt certain that they could not have been as good at their job as the current Queen was. _Nor half as beautiful_, her mind added, causing Anna to jump slightly at the memory of her dream.

The Queen disappeared into the golden carriage, and Anna watched with mixed feelings until the it disappeared from sight. The walk back to the farm was quiet, Anna deep in thought, analyzing and over-analyzing her dream. For some reason, her mind would not leave it alone, no matter how absurd it had been. _But hey, who cares! It was a good dream!_

Once they arrived home, Kristoff and Oaken immediately set to cleaning up the barn, even though the Queen's men had left it in a better state than they had found it in. Anna made her way to her room, intending to clean the mess the Queen might have left, as well as changing into some less formal clothes. The fancy green dress was really not suitable for working on the farm.

As soon as she entered her room, Anna noticed something different. It took her a moment to realise what was off exactly. As she sat down on the bed, which was meticulously made, it hit her. _Her scent_. It was strongest around the bed, but Anna could smell the vague scent of the Queen all around her room. _Pine trees, winter and mint_, she mused to herself. She stopped herself from opening the window. _Gah, like the air outside could be better than the air in here_. She turned to leave again, but stopped when she noticed something foreign on her desk.

There, in the middle of her desk, was a shiny silver hairbrush. It looked remarkably expensive, fitting for a Queen indeed. "She must have forgotten it," Anna muttered to herself. She picked it up delicately, placing it in her nearly empty drawer. _I'll keep it safe until I get a chance to return it_.

* * *

><p>Anna sat at the table, staring at the remains of her dinner, waiting for her father to finish his. It had now been many weeks since the Queen's visit. Anna wasn't really certain how long it had been exactly, she had lost count after four weeks. Anna wasn't really good at keeping track of time. All she knew is that today marked the end of this year's farming season, and she had been busy all day because of it. Good busy, not bad busy, of course. She had visited every shop in the village to let them know Oaken Farm would not be providing anymore vegetables for a while, and collecting the money the shopkeepers still owed them. She had also taken a few minutes to watch a large group of carpenters renovating the old church – the Queen had kept her promise and sent them over shortly after leaving Hellmark. Afterwards, she had tended to the animals, something that needed to be done even in the off-season.<p>

Oaken cleared his throat, the universal sign that she needed to pay attention. "Kristoff, when are you leaving?"

_Leaving? Oh, right, yeah! Kristoff always travels to the capital to renew the lease on the farmlands and all the other paperwork._

"I was planning to leave after dinner, if that's alright?" Kristoff grumbled. "Sven and the sleigh are ready."

Oaken nodded. "Have you packed, Anna?"

_Well, that seems a very logical question. After all, if Kristoff is going to- what?_

"Me? Packed? No why?"

"You're going with Kristoff, ya? We discussed this, hm?"

Anna pondered deeply. _Did we really? When?_

"Months ago," Oaken answered Anna's unasked question. Although, in hindsight, maybe she had asked it out loud. She couldn't tell for certain.

"Right. I'll get packed straight away. I'll be ready in a jiffy!"

True to her word, Anna jumped off from her chair, raced to her room, grabbed a bag, and started stuffing half the contents of her room in it. _How long will the trip even be? Never mind, no time to ask! Just... Just pack everything you can fit!_

Despite her hurry, she remembered placing the ornate silver hairbrush in her bag, the thought of delivering it to the castle passing through her mind fleetingly. Within minutes, she was back in the living room, Kristoff and her father looking at her with raised eyebrows.

"Done!"

"Done?"

"Done!"

"Okay... good. Just put your bag in the sleigh, and we'll leave..."

Sitting in the sleigh, Anna could hardly have been more enthusiastic. She'd never left her village before. She was finally going to see the world! Or, well, at least see the country. A part of it. For the first half hour, she chattered on and on, Kristoff answering all her questions with a glint of amusement in his eyes. As soon as it started to get darker, though, Anna felt her energy flow away from her, slumping into the sleigh's seat.

"It's okay, Anna. You can go to sleep. By the time you wake up, we should be close to the capital."

Anna wanted to murmur something in response, but failed utterly when she opened her mouth and was unable to hold back a very unladylike yawn. "Mmkay."

* * *

><p>By the time she opened her eyes, the sun was already starting to rise again, and Kristoff was snoring next to her. <em>Yet another way in which he chases all the wildlife away. It's a wonder I slept through that...<em> She noticed how Sven seemed to know the way on his own, needing no guidance from his master to pull the sleigh in the right direction.

They were coming down a hill, and down in the distance, Anna could see the city. It _had_ to be the capital. No other city could possibly be that large. Or have such a magnificent castle. Or all those ships in the harbour.

She woke Kristoff up when they drew nearer to the city, and soon enough they were entering it. Anna's head whipped from left to right, wishing she had an extra pair of eyes to take her new surroundings in. Since she lacked those, however, she satisfied herself with her head turning continuously. She eyed the merchants, trying to sell their wares to every passing body. She stared at the guards, walking around in shining armour, their faces stern. She listened to the seagulls as they drifted above the massive ships bobbing in the water.

Eventually, Sven stopped, and Anna noticed they were parked in front of a small, shoddy inn. Kristoff told her to stay put until he returned, which only took him a few minutes.

"We'll be sleeping in the barn tonight. Hopefully, our business here will be finished tomorrow, so we can go back to the normal world."

"But it's beautiful here!"

"It's madness," Kristoff grumbled, "and I won't stay here any longer than necessary."

After parking the sleigh and making sure Sven was comfortable, Anna accompanied Kristoff to a large building, a sign outside reading 'Town Hall.' Kristoff had explained this is where Arendelle's officials were available, and they would have no trouble getting their documents in order. As soon as they walked up to the desk, Anna trailing behind her big brother, Kristoff tensed up.

"Excuse me, where is Lord Clemington? I need to renew our lease and license for Oaken Farm."

"Clemington retired," a grumpy, old man answered. Anna didn't like the look of him. He sat behind his desk with an air of superiority, wearing rich purple robes and rings on all his fingers. He also wore a decorative necklace and a purple hat covering his long, grey hair. "You'll be dealing with me. So, Oaken Farm?"

Kristoff nodded. "Lord Clemington wasn't that old, though, was he? Why did _you_ get this position?"

The man looked up, clearly peeved. "No need to address me in such a way, _boy_. I'm Lord Orthal. You'll be dealing with me, or not at all."

"Oh really, Mr. Orthal? Just... just renew the documents, sign them, stamp them, and we'll be on our way again."

Lord Orthal narrowed his eyes, glaring down at them. He then turned his attention to the documents, a creepy smile forming on his lips. "I don't think I will be doing that. You're family has held these lands long enough. Maybe it is time for someone else to take it over. _Your request will be denied_."

Kristoff's jaw fell slack, Anna merely looking from one to the other. "What does that mean?"

The nobleman grinned at her. "You'll be evicted from your farm. Your home. Someone else will continue working your land. Or maybe the government will decide to build a factory in its stead."

"No! You can't do that!"

"I just did, girl."

Kristoff had to drag her back to their barn, keeping Anna from hitting anyone in the face in her anger. Once they had settled on the bales of hay that would form their home for the night, Anna finally settled down. "So, what now?"

"We let Sven rest a while, go back to Hellmark, and tell dad the news," Kristoff sighed.

"There must be something we can do!" Anna almost whined.

"Only a noble of higher rank can top Orthal's orders," Kristoff mumbled. He didn't notice the change in his little sister's countenance.

"Kristoff!"

"Yeah?"

"How long does Sven need to rest?"

"At least until tonight. He's been walking all night."

Anna grabbed her bag, swinging it over her shoulder. "I'll be right back. Just... exploring."

"Sure, but don't get-" Anna was already gone, Kristoff's words lost to the sleeping reindeer. She had just thought up something. Something crazy, that would never work. But she had to at least try, right? She couldn't very well let some snobbish old man kick them out of her home.

* * *

><p>Elsa sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose, trying to block out the sound of the bickering advisors. They had been here for over an hour, discussing trivial affairs that she really didn't care about. The little things weren't meant for the Queen. That's what she had councils and advisors for, right? <em>Right.<em>

"That's enough," she spoke. Her voice hadn't been raised, but it was full of authority nonetheless, and accompanied by the sudden drop in temperature, it was more than enough to silence everyone. "Surely I won't need to replace you all with children from the orphanage, right? Stop bickering and act like the grown men you are. Now, since we don't seem to be getting anywhere with this bickering over taxes, I suggest we move on and cover this issue next week."

"Of course, Your Majesty," the eldest of the men answered humbly. "The next point on the schedule is the evaluation of your public campaign."

"Very well," Elsa sighed. "Since the goal was for the entire country to see my face, I think it was a success."

"It certainly was, Your Majesty. We're hearing positive sounds from across the kingdom. Everyone is impressed and pleased with your actions. There's just the issue of the expenses..."

"Explain?"

"You've ordered repairs on nearly thirty structures, the founding of three new orphanages, commissioned five new ships to be made and sent to the fishing villages... It's costing a large amount of gold, Your Majesty."

"What would you have had me do? Promise them to help out, and then turn them away when they explain their issues?"

"No- Of course not, You-" Elsa's distraction was caught by her head servant, Kai, who walked up to her side and moved his mouth close to her ear.

"There's someone calling for you at the front gate."

_Front gate? None of the noble visitors would be calling for me there. They would be allowed inside, shown a room, and then I'd meet them during the morning proceedings. Why would someone be at the front gate? _

She cleared her throat, looking up at the men in front of her. "We're done for today, gentlemen. I'll hear no more of this expense nonsense. If need be I'll repay the state from my personal vault. The citizens needed my help, and I wouldn't be a good Queen if I didn't help. Now, you can leave."

The men immediately got up, gathering their papers, bowed and left the room. Elsa also stood, motioning for Kai to lead the way. Not that she didn't know the way, of course. They walked for several minutes, and Elsa was just about to ask if he knew who was at the gate, when a loud voice rang through the hallway.

"But I _need _to see her! I have something of hers, and I need to return it. I must see the Queen!"

_That voice. I recognise that voice... _

Elsa tried her best to remember, but failed utterly, until she actually turned the corner, watching a fiery redhead waving a hairbrush in the face of one of her guards.

"And why would a little farmer girl like you have the Queen's hairbrush? It's probably just a silly worthless trinket."

Elsa wasn't sure what happened, but the guards comments, and his mocking tone, worked like a red cloth on a bull. Her voice was sharp and clear when she spoke up.

"Actually, that is my favourite hairbrush. I forgot it when I stayed at Oaken Farm in Hellmark."

The guard pivoted, shock plastered on his face, before kneeling down on a knee.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

Elsa merely nodded. "Ms. Oaken, follow me please," she continued, her voice softer and kinder now. Anna looked utterly flabbergasted, despite the fact that she had actually been asking for her.

Anna followed her meekly, and Elsa led them to a small room on the first floor, a small table in the alcove near the window being the only furniture. "Kai, please bring us tea."

"Right away."

They sat down at the table, and Elsa noticed how Anna had decided not to look at her at all, opting to stare out of the window. Within minutes, a platter with tea and biscuits was placed in between them, and Elsa waved the servants out of the room.

"So..." she started. "I had intended for that hairbrush to be a gift. You know, for chasing you out of your room."

Anna finally turned towards her, flustered red and fidgeting with one of the napkins. "I didn't mind! I liked being chased out- you didn't chase me, literally, of course- But I liked it. My room smelled of you for weeks!" She immediately clamped her hands in front of her mouth, groaning loudly and looking away again.

Elsa decided not to make matters worse for the girl, realising she found herself in an alien environment, speaking to someone she'd probably never imagined even meeting.

"Would you like tea, Ms. Oaken?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Anna mumbled in reply. "And call me Anna, please."

"As you wish, Anna. Here you go."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"You don't have to repeat 'Your Majesty' after every sentence. I don't need reminding that I'm the Queen," Elsa replied, keeping her voice light.

Anna merely nodded.

"So, tell me... Did you really come all this way from Hellmark to return my hairbrush?"

"No..."

Elsa merely cocked an eyebrow, waiting for Anna's elaboration.

"I'm sorry, this is silly. I shouldn't have come here. I don't know what I was thinking. I probably wasn't. It happens to me sometimes. Oftentimes. Never mind. Thanks for the tea, Your Majesty. I'll just- I'll just go now."

Anna already got up and was halfway across the room before Elsa managed to catch her wrist, causing the redhead to turn around frantically. Elsa immediately let go. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- If something's wrong, you can tell me. Maybe I can help?"

Anna looked like she could start crying any moment, so Elsa guided her back to her seat, sitting down opposite her again, waiting for the girl to start talking.

"He- he... He said we'd be sent away from the farm... Our home... We have nowhere to go if we can't-"

"Easy now, Anna. Who said this?"

"Lord Orthal..."

Elsa frowned. The name did not sound familiar, and she made it a point to know all the Lords and Ladies in the capital. "Do you know why?"

"Kristoff said something about Lord Clemington being gone, and they started arguing, and now we'll lose the farm. And I was thinking, a higher noble can reverse the order. And a Queen trumps a Lord, so I came here, but they wouldn't let me in, so I showed them the brush, but they still didn't believe me and then you showed up and took me here and offered me tea and told me the brush was a gift and now I'm just sitting here trying to keep from crying like a baby because you're the Queen and I'm just me and I shouldn't have come here."

Elsa sighed, before smiling softly and reaching for Anna's hand. "Anna... there's no such thing as 'just me.' I may be the Queen, but that doesn't mean I'm better than anyone else. Now, go clean yourself up, we'll finish our tea, and then we'll go to Town Hall and see what

we can do about this situation, okay?"

They enjoyed their tea in a comfortable silence, after which they made their way to Town Hall. People on the streets often turned around after passing them, for even they did not see their Queen walking around this freely very often.

Anna walked up to Lord Orthal, clearing her throat to catch his attention. "You again? Get lost, kid. There's nothing you can do to change your mind. You and that troll of a brother of yours will need to vacate the property before farming season starts again."

"Maybe _I_ can do something to change your mind," a cold voice came from a little farther away.

"I really doubt that, Miss," Orthal replied without looking up.

"Really?"

The grumpy lord reluctantly tore his gaze away from his paper, noticed the Queen, now standing besides Anna, and promptly fell from his chair in an attempt to get up and curtsy. "Your Majesty. I didn't know you were scheduled to come in today. I'm so terribly sorry. Really, there's no need to bother yourself with nuisances like this girl. I've got everything covered."

"Ms. Oaken and her family are rather dear to me, sir," Elsa glowered. "I'd appreciate it if you showed them some respect. Now, I had a chance to stay at Oaken Farm during my time in Hellmark, and the village is very dependent on it. I want you to ensure that all papers are in order and sent to the castle. I will sign them myself."

"Of course, Your Majesty. I will see to it first thing tomorrow."

"No. You will see to it right now. I expect the papers on my desk before nightfall. If you're not capable of performing such a menial task in such a lofty timeframe, we will need to reconsider your position here."

The man bowed deeply, knowing he wouldn't be able to win this battle even if her had the guts to try. He made sure not to voice any discontent as the Queen and the annoying little brat left Town Hall, all his colleagues looking at them in awe.

As soon as they stood outside, Anna jumped up, throwing her arms into the air, and doing a little dance on the spot. Before she knew what happened, Anna had turned around and wrapped her arms closely around Elsa, engaging in a strong hug. Before Elsa had a chance to recover and maybe even reciprocate, Anna let go of her again and took two large steps backwards. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have done that. Not that I regret it, because I don't, but maybe I should? I don't know..."

Elsa raised her hands to mask a small laugh, noticing how Anna's blush grew a tenfold when she finally gathered enough courage to look up at her again. "That's alright, Anna. I think we should go and tell your brother about the... recent changes, no?"

"Yes!" Anna shouted, causing several people on the streets to look around at her. "This way, please," Anna mumbled, completely embarrassed now. Elsa took her arm, not really caring what the people on the streets would think. _I may be the Queen, but I deserve to be myself every now and again, right? Right. Totally right._

To her surprise, Anna led them past a small inn, one of questionable reputation, Elsa recalled, and towards the barn behind it. "In here!" the girl squealed excitedly, before running inside. "Kristoff! I did it. We'll get the papers signed!"

Elsa watched the sleeping reindeer, and the boy splayed out over the hay next to him as he scrambled up. "What? Anna, how? Where were you anyway?"

"I had some help!"

Only then did the boy seem to notice her, standing near the entrance of the barn still. For a moment, his face was completely blank, before the realization that he was staring at the Queen sank in, and his face turned to utter shock. "Your Majesty!"

Elsa merely nodded in reply, trying hard not to laugh at the stressful reaction, the boy now standing with his entire body held stiff, a deep bow being the only exception to that.

"Anna, where do you find the Queen?"

"Well, at the castle, of course."

"What?! You went to the castle, and bothered the Queen for this!?"

"And we had tea," Elsa added with a decidedly non-royal smirk.

"You had- Of course... You had tea. Anna, I let you out of my sight for half an hour, and you... you... Ach! Never mind."

Elsa shook her head in mirth. "Do not worry, Mr. Oaken. I am glad I had a chance to repay your sister for her hospitality some weeks back. There was no need for her to sleep outside so I could sleep in a bed. Speaking of which..." She gestured at her surroundings.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty," Kristoff smiled. "Hay makes an incredibly soft bed.

"Oh, no," Elsa shook her head, slowly but decidedly. "Absolutely not. You're not sleeping here tonight. No way. Gather your stuff, you'll be staying at the castle tonight."

Anna and Kristoff both looked at her as if she had said something completely ridiculous. Maybe she had, she wasn't sure. But she _was_ sure that Anna would _not_ be sleeping in a barn.

"We... we already paid for this," Anna mumbled quietly, hardly loud enough for Elsa to catch it.

"You... You _paid_ for this?" Elsa could hardly believe it. She sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. "Go ahead and make your way to the castle, you'll find a guard outside who will make sure you're allowed in. I'll talk to the innkeeper."

The guard in question smiled congenially. "Please make sure Kai prepares two of the guest rooms for tonight. And sees to all their needs. I'll be dining with them tonight, so make sure Kai cancels any other appointments."

The guard merely nodded, his surprise only visible in his eyes. For a moment, Elsa thought whether this was the right thing to do. _But I'll be damned if I let them stay here tonight. Now, to deal with that innkeeper..._

* * *

><p>Anna was in awe. Completely and utterly so. And judging by his face, Kristoff was not doing much better. The guard had led them back to the palace, spoken with a young man for a moment, and then asked them to wait. Within minutes, they were introduced to the stable master, who assured them he would make sure Sven would get everything a reindeer could possibly wish for. Then they were led inside, and upstairs. The portly servant she had seen before had brought them to two adjoining rooms, one for Kristoff, and one for herself.<p>

And that's where she was now. The room was almost the size of their entire home. The walls were painted in delicate greens, complemented by the soft yellow curtains hanging by the window. The bed - a large, large, bed - seemed fit for the Queen herself, and Anna was wondering whether she would not get lost in it. Before she had time to think that over any further, however, she was torn from her thoughts by gentle knocking on the door.

Anna waited, but no one entered. Only then did she realise they were probably waiting for her to reply. "Come in," she tried to call, but it came from her mouth considerably softer than planned. _Way to be cool about this, Anna. Really._

An older woman opened the door and walked into the room, carrying a large bag. "Good afternoon, Ms. Oaken. My name is Gerda, I'm the head of household here. Tonight, however, I have the honour of being your aid. The Queen has requested you for dinner in an hour and a half." Anna nodded in reply, not capable of doing anything else. She still stood in the middle of her room when the woman walked through one of the doors, shortly after which the sound of running water resounded through the room.

After a few minutes, the woman returned, a motherly smile on her face. "I prepared a bath for you, Ms. Oaken. Please take as long as you need. I have placed a towel and a robe on the shelf. I would help you undress, but I think that might only serve to make you uncomfortable, so I will busy myself with making the bed. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to call out."

Anna was thoroughly impressed by her bathroom. The bathtub itself looked like it could house three bodies without there being any need to touch one another. She quickly took off her dress, the one she had dubbed her potato-sack dress, unfortunately, and lowered herself into the hot water. She revelled in the feeling of the water, feeling the dirt come loose from her body. _I can't believe I went to see the Queen while being so dirty? What was I thinking? I even hugged her! She must be totally grossed out._

After nearly half an hour, she got up from the bath, towelled herself down while contemplating on the impossible softness of the towel, and put on the provided robe, also unspeakably soft. When she walked back into her room, she found Gerda sitting on the vanity chair. "Enjoyed your bath, Ms. Oaken?"

"Yes, thank you," Anna replied shyly.

"Majestic. Now, shall we get you ready for dinner?"

Anna nodded and turned around. "I'll just have to put my dress back on and I'll be good."

"No, no. The Queen will have none of that, Ms. Oaken. She has provided a new dress for you."

"She has?" Anna could hardly believe her ears.

Gerda walked over to the bag she had brought with her, producing a beautiful dress from it. It was a beautiful dark shade of green, and like the dress she had worn when she first saw the Queen, it had a black bodice. That, however, was as far as the comparison could be taken. It was made out of an incredibly soft and rich fabric Anna wasn't able to name, and it seemed to shimmer when light passed over it. The black bodice was covered with golden floral patterns, and left her shoulders bare.

Gerda helped her getting dressed, and Anna hardly recognised herself when she looked in the mirror. She couldn't help the cheeky grin that spread across her face.

"I'm glad you like it," Gerda smiled from behind her. "The Queen picked it out herself."

That little bit of information was enough for Anna's head to start swimming, and for a moment she thought she saw a glimpse of... _something_, in Gerda's eyes. _Don't be silly. You don't even know the woman,_ she chastised herself.

"Now, Ms. Oaken, shall I do your hair?"

Anna mutely took her place in front of the vanity, overwhelmed by all the attention paid to her. Gerda took her spot behind her, and started pulling a brush through her hair. It took Anna only a few seconds to notice it was the silver hairbrush the Queen had left in her room.

"That's the Queen's hairbrush!" she yelped.

"You're quite mistaken, dear," Gerda smiled. "Her Majesty assured me it was yours the moment she left it behind. You should feel honoured, she always refused using any other brush until her return from the trip."

Anna blushed an even deeper shade of red, but Gerda graciously ignored it. "Now, shall we put your hair up, or leave it down..." she muttered, seemingly without expecting an answer. She experimented a little with Anna's hair before making a decision. "Yes, down would be best. That should do the trick perfectly," she grinned.

"_Do the trick?_ Am I expected to do something?"

"Oh, no! Of course not, dear. Don't you worry about an old woman muttering to herself."

Anna nodded as Gerda started to smear something in her hair. Within minutes, her untameable mane had been transformed into a curtain of beautiful, soft hair, curling slightly and falling over her shoulders. "There you go, dear. Now, your brother should be waiting. My husband and I shall escort the two of you to the dining hall."

"Husband?"

"Yes. My husband is the head servant here. You may have met him."

Anna nodded mutely as she was led out of her room. Simultaneously, Kristoff and Kai exited the other room. Anna smiled at the sight of her brother. His usual rags had been replaced by dark blue pants and a white shirt, covered mostly by a matching jacket. His usually wild hair had been tamed, much like Anna's.

Kristoff turned to her, and his eyes widened at the sight of his little sister. "Wow. I mean. Wow. Anna... You look... You're beautiful!" Anna blushed slightly as the head servant nodded in agreement. "You look quite dashing yourself, Kristoff," she smiled. The walk to the dining hall was short and silent, neither of them knowing what to expect from the entire affair.

The dining hall was a large as everything in this room, and the Queen sat at the far end of the table, looking at a stack of papers in her hand. When Kai announced them, she looked up, and Anna could've sworn she saw a blush creeping across her usually pale face. Her mouth was slightly open, as if she had trouble forming her words, Anna thought. _Damn it, mind! Stop that madness. You're totally misinterpreting everything. Every time I'm around the Queen. _

Kai and Gerda pulled out two chairs for the two of them, and they sat down silently. Gerda looked at the large clock on the wall. "Dinner will be served in five minutes," she smiled as Kai took the papers away from the Queen.

It was silent for a moment, before Kristoff started talking. "I- We'd just like to thank you for everything, Your Majesty," he muttered, his eyes fixed on his empty plate.

The Queen smiled and handed him a little pouch. "It's the least I could do. This should be enough to recompense you for the inn." Kristoff nodded and put the pouch away. "You both look very... good," the Queen added softly.

Anna immediately piped up, speaking before her brother got a chance. "Thank you! I totally adore this dress. I have a similar one at home."

"I know," the Queen smirked, throwing Anna off her trail.

"But it's nothing like this one. And it's so soft and fits so well, it's amazing!" she quickly continued.

"I'm glad you like it," the Queen smiled. "I expect you to take it with you. The same goes for you, of course, Mr. Oaken."

"Oh no no no! We couldn't! This dress costs more than my entire wardrobe together!" Anna immediately replied.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist," the Queen overruled, using her regal tone to ensure Anna wouldn't make a fuss again.

"Well, thank you, then."

Just then the servants entered, carrying a dozen silver plates and spreading them out over the table. Anna's mouth started to water as the smells from the delicious food drifted into her nose, and she decided to take a little bit of everything. Once her plate was filled, she stared down at the vast array of silverware. _Etiquette. Right. Which spoon and which fork do I use? _

Apparently, the Queen felt her distress. "Just use whichever feels right for you. I won't scold you for using the wrong utensils," she smiled, immediately reassuring Anna and her brother. Dinner was mostly silent, but it wasn't an awkward silence. Everyone was just busy eating. After some time, the servants took the plates away again, and announced the dessert would be out momentarily.

Just then the doors to the dining hall opened, and a young man walked in. Anna looked at him, immediately finding him rather handsome, like some kind of prince. He had majestic red hair, a pearly white smile, and was dressed in a formal uniform. His sideburns were a little excessive to her taste, but still...

"Elsa! I've been looking everywhere for you!" he beamed.

The Queen looked up, half annoyed and half amused. "And why exactly is the dining hall the last place you look for me, seeing as it is dinner time?"

"Well, can't blame me for that. You hardly ever eat here unless you have guests. Oh, hello. You have guests."

"Yes. Kristoff and Anna Oaken. I told you about their farm in Hellmark?"

"Right, right. So this is the girl that-"

"Anna, Kristoff, this is Hans. He is a Prince of the Southern Isles, and he has been a ward of my parents since he was six. We grew up together, and after my parents' accident, he decided he'd rather stay here than return to a land he could hardly remember."

Hans smiled at both of them. _A prince. Well, that explains a lot_, Anna thought. _Still, he can't hold a candle to Elsa. Wait... Are you... Am I... Oh dear... And since when do I call her Elsa? Careful there, Missy. Don't want to be thrown in the dungeons for disrespecting the Queen._

Hans looked at Anna's dress. "Elsa, isn't this the dress you had made when you returned from your campaign?"

The Queen coughed softly. "As a matter of fact, it is."

"And it's a perfect fit, isn't it?"

Anna merely nodded.

Hans' grin widened. "Well, isn't that... _convenient_."

The servants entered, carrying several different cakes, and Prince Hans quickly excused himself. Anna hardly noticed, her eyes transfixed on the largest and yummiest-looking chocolate cake she'd ever seen. She was too busy eating her dessert to realise how quiet it was across the room. Kristoff didn't seem to notice it either, but once she'd finished eating, she realised the Queen hadn't said a word since Prince Hans had left.

"Your Majesty," Anna started hesitantly, seeing the Queen fidget with a napkin. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all." The reply was short, almost evasive. _No, that's just your mind making things up again._

"Did we do something wrong? We're not really knowledgeable about etiquette and stuff. Maybe we made a poor impression on the Prince? Well, of course we made a poor impression. We're just lowly commoners. Why would you even be dining with us? Ha, the thought on itself- Never mind, I didn't mean to imply you did something wrong, but I just... Yeah, I think I'm going to stop talking now. Sorry."

The Queen's spirit seemed a little lifted. "Don't worry, Ms. Oaken. Everything is quite fine. I was just lost in thought for a moment. Now, if you're both done, Kai and Gerda will escort you back to your rooms. I'll see to it the paperwork for your lease is taken care off. Good night."

And just like that she got up and left. Gerda helped Anna get ready for bed, and she immediately felt fatigue washing over her. Her muddled mind tried to salvage some of the events of the night. _Prince Hans was charming, but Queen Elsa's the real deal. Never knew I could feel... this... for a girl. And the dress... she commissioned it herself, and then just gave it to me... What did Hans say again?... Oh yeah... perfect fit... Odd..._

She didn't get much of a chance to continue that line of thought, however. The last thing she noticed before falling asleep was the falling of snowflakes outside her window, which, for some reason, made her think of the Queen. Of _Elsa_.


	3. Chapter 3

Taxes. When the council was arguing, you could safely assume it was about taxes. It was the case ninety percent of the time, and this morning was no different. They had gathered at eight in the morning for a short meeting. Or so Elsa had assumed. After all, there were only two points on the agenda, and it really didn't have to take a long as it was now. It was nearing ten o'clock.

Elsa had her elbows resting on the mahogany table, her head resting on her hands. Anyone looking at her would see an interested but quiet listener. Only those that actually knew Elsa would recognize the glassy look in her eyes. Truthfully, she was only listening with half an ear. After all, it was just a discussion on taxes. Nothing the council couldn't handle without her. And her mind was too preoccupied with the dinner last night.

Elsa was certain of two things. The first being that it had been a disaster. Then again, who could blame her? Her mind had shut itself down the moment Anna walked through that door. The dress was perfect. Her hair was loose, cascading down to her shoulders. She looked like a veritable princess. More so than Elsa herself, she thought. She had half a mind to reprimand Gerda for being too good at her job. She wouldn't, of course. That'd be silly. But she was tempted. She could have handled Anna in her regular dress, with her hair in the regular twin braids. She had been wholly unprepared for Gerda's handiwork. In fact, she wasn't even sure how the woman knew about the dress...

But it didn't matter. After all, the second thing she was certain of was the fact that she'd probably never see Anna again. By now, she and her brother would be on their way back to Hellmark. The idea filled Elsa with both relief and sadness. She really didn't have her head on straight when it came to this girl. She'd been thinking about her – more than would be deemed reasonable – since she left Hellmark. For some odd reason, she had even commissioned a dress in her sizes, reminiscent of the one she had worn when Elsa had seen her. _I never really expected her to wear it, though_. _I never even expected to see her again. _

The councilmen had finally reached an agreement, and they all fell silent again. Elsa sat up straight, calling herself back to attention.

"Good, now that we have that out of the way, I'd like to propose an innovation to our way of governing the kingdom," she started, ignoring the furtive glances the noblemen were shooting at each other. "Currently, the kingdom is ruled solely from the capital. But we're incredibly out of touch with most of the communities of Arendelle. Basically, I propose that we form a new council, consisting of one member from every village and city, which we can call for a gathering when we need to decide something that is of importance for the entire kingdom."

"Your Majesty, all due respect, but all the major cities have a mayor..."

"I am well aware of that. But none of the villages have any input in our process of decision-making. And the only thing that mayors can do is petition the annulment of a decision after it has already been made."

"But, Your Majesty, your proposal would make the entire process incredibly slow."

One of the other councilman responded before Elsa could. She recognized the man as an old friend of her father. "I think the Queen is right. The people have the right to be involved, and speed is not an issue for most decisions. For those rare few decisions that do need to be made urgently, we can make an exception."

The council debated for a while longer, but eventually the majority seemed in favour of Elsa's plans. "I'm glad we are in agreement. We'll send out riders to all the cities and villages, informing them of this development. If we work quickly, we can have elections – yes, elections – in every community within two months. The capital city is the only exception. I will take my place on the new council as representative, and my heir after me, agreed?"

All the men nodded. Elsa smiled as she looked at the clock. _Not even noon yet, it's a miracle._ She was just about to end the meeting when one of the men cleared his throat.

"Your Majesty, one more thing..."

Elsa merely nodded, trying not to show her annoyance.

"While we are on the subject of your _heir_, we feel the need to discuss potential suitors. After all, as the Queen, it is your responsibility to-"

Elsa raised her hand, immediately silencing the man.

"Arendelle is flourishing, yes?"

A nod from the council.

"The people are content with me as their Queen, are they not?"

Another nod.

"Then I would say there is no urgent need for me to marry, correct?"

"Your Majesty, not to be disrespectful, but marriage is necessary for allies and trade-"

The room got eerily chilly all of a sudden, and the councilmen immediately linked it to the furrowing of their Queen's eyebrows and the darkening of her eyes.

"Correct me if I'm mistaken, councilman, but last time I checked, we were allies with Corona, DunBroch, France, and several other powerful nations. Right?"

A weak nod from the councilman in question was the only given reply.

"And unless things have changed drastically overnight, we have very profitable trade agreements with our allies and surrounding kingdoms. Have things changed drastically overnight?"

A hesitant shake of their heads.

"Then, please, do explain why it is necessary for me to _sell_ myself to the noble family of another kingdom?" The acid in her voice must have been obvious, since all the men in the room shirked back slightly.

"Your Majesty, tradition dictates that-"

Elsa wanted to interrupt him, but a cynical laugh from behind her did so first. Once the short laugh ceased, Hans' familiar voice echoed through the hall. "Tradition... You really don't want to go there, councilman," he said, still chuckling. "I think the Queen has made it clear that she is not interested in a suitor at this point in time. Now, you'll have to excuse me for stealing her away from this meeting. The Queen and I have guests to attend to."

Elsa nodded to the councilmen, giving them permission to leave. "We'll continue our discussion another time, gentlemen," she muttered absentmindedly. Once they were alone, she turned towards Hans.

"Thanks for that," she muttered dryly.

"You're welcome. After all, we both know you're not interested in a husband."

Elsa narrowed her eyes slightly. With Hans, one could never be sure, but she thought he might just have put a little too much emphasis on the last word.

_Hm, no... I probably imagined it_, she thought to herself while smiling at Hans, _even he doesn't know me _that_ well._

"So, Weselton or the Emerald Isles?"

Hans didn't seem fazed by the sudden change in subject. He kept his smile firmly in place as he raised his eyebrows. "What are we talking about now?"

"The guests? Is it the Duke of Weselton or the delegation from the Emerald Isles?"

She hadn't thought it possible, but Hans' smile widened even further, causing his expression to border on manic. "Neither of them will be here before next week, I think? No, no. Ms. Oaken has asked to spend the afternoon with you."

"Anna? Weren't they supposed to leave earlier this morning?"

"Well..."

"Hans... what did you do?"

Hans' look turned into one of mock apology. "I'm going riding with a few friends, and I might accidentally have asked young Mr. Oaken along. They've decided to return to Hellmark this evening, instead. And, as I said, Ms. Oaken has requested you company to pass the time."

Elsa brought her hand to her face, groaning slightly.

"Something wrong, sister?"

"How often do I have to tell you that I'm not actually your sister?" she deflected.

"Close enough," Hans waved her question away. "But you didn't answer me."

"No, everything is _just _fine. Leave it to you to go and muck up my _only_ free afternoon..." She wasn't really angry – and Hans knew it. This was just the way most of their conversations went down.

"I'm sure you and Ms. Oaken will get along swimmingly," Hans smiled, before turning on his heels and walking off.

_That's exactly the point..._

* * *

><p>Anna was sitting in her room. She had slept well into the morning – a hard habit to break, especially when facilitated by the softest bed <em>ever<em> – and had been preparing to leave when Kristoff had come by to ask whether she was alright with staying until the afternoon. Apparently, he was going out riding with Prince Hans, although she had no idea how that suddenly came to be.

Mere minutes later, Gerda had come by her room and let her know that the Queen had requested her to spend the afternoon together. Anna wouldn't have been able to refuse the offer even if she wanted to, and Gerda had helped her prepare. She wore the same dress as yesterday – a miracle it didn't sport any food stains – and Gerda had been very insistent on Anna keeping her hair down again.

She sat staring out of the window, waiting for the Queen's meeting to end, and used her time to go over last night's dinner. There were a few things that seemed a little _off_.

_She left incredibly suddenly after Hans – pardon, Prince Hans – had made his appearance. She assured us we didn't do anything wrong, but what else could have caused her to act so... well... odd. What were she and the Prince talking about again?_

Anna tried her very best to remember, but her mind wouldn't cooperate. As far as she could recall, they had only engaged in some banal chatter. But then again, she wasn't familiar with royalty. Maybe there had been some kind of hidden meaning somewhere that she just didn't pick up on.

She was momentarily distracted by a sound in the courtyard below her window, and she stared with amazement as a small army of riders in the royal colours thundered out of the gates. _I wonder what that's all about._ She didn't get much time to think about, as she was distracted – again – by three short knocks on her door.

"Um. Yes? I mean – Yes, come in!"

The door opened to reveal the Queen, wearing a different but similar blue dress, this one also sparkling as the light hit it. She slowly walked into the room.

"Ms. Oaken," she nodded. "You had asked to spend the afternoon with me?"

Anna's brow furrowed in confusion. "No I didn't. Oh, gosh, I didn't mean it to sound like that. I would have asked – but you're the Queen, and – Well... I just assumed you'd be busy... And I didn't even know we'd be here today because we were supposed to go home earlier but Kristoff... Well, never mind that... I was told you had requested my presence..."

The Queen seemed taken aback by Anna's final statement, her eyes darkening somewhat, before she mustered up a small smile. "Well, I suppose it's all just a big misunderstanding. Prince Hans... isn't really known for his eloquence. Or thinking in advance..."

Anna couldn't resist a giggle.

"Or thinking at all, for that matter," the Queen muttered silently, more to herself than to Anna. "But since we're both here, and you won't be able to return home until your brother has returned, we might as well make the best of it. Don't you agree?"

_Yes! Yes! Oh, god yes!_

"Umm, sure..." Anna replied shyly.

The Queen presented one of her polite, somewhat distant smiles. "Very well. Have you had lunch yet?"

Anna shook her head, following the Queen as she motioned. In the hallway, they found Gerda waiting. "Gerda, please make sure there's lunch for two in the library in half an hour."

Gerda nodded with an enthusiastic smile. "Of course, Your Majesty. Anything specific?"

The Queen turned to Anna. "Ms. Oaken, any preferences?"

"Chocolate." _Oh god, they must think I'm a child. I didn't mean to say that out loud..._

"Anything chocolaty would be fine, Gerda," the Queen smiled. "I'm taking Ms. Oaken for a walk in the gardens first."

The servant smiled again and nodded, before scurrying off – Anna assumed towards the kitchens – to see to the preparations. "If that's alright with you, of course?"

Anna whipped her head back to the Queen. "What? Shit! No... Fu- I mean. What were you saying, Your Majesty?" God, could she mess this up any worse than this? _Of course you can,_ Anna thought to herself bitterly. _It's your greatest talent._

"A walk in the gardens... I was asking whether that was alright with you."

"Oh, yes, of course!"

They walked through the corridors in silence for a few minutes, Anna always making sure to remain behind the Queen ever so slightly. She stopped before a large double door, flanked by two guards. "Ms. Oaken, you're allowed to walk beside me, you know."

Anna blinked a few times. "I- I am?"

"You are," the Queen smirked. _The Queen smirks. Queens smirk? _"Okay..."

The Queen nodded to the two guardsmen, who reached out and opened the large door. A chilly gust blew into the hallway to greet them, and Anna followed the Queen outside. The doors were immediately closed after them, and Anna took care to stand exactly next to the Queen this time. "Anna."

"What?"

"Please, call me Anna. Not Ms. Oaken."

The Queen smiled – not the usual distant and polite smile, but a more sincere, radiant smile. "Of course."

They took a few more steps into the garden, and Anna finally took the time to take in her surroundings. Despite the time of year, it was still green, and several flowers were still blooming. Anna reached out to a beautiful yellow flower , popping up from a thin layer of snow.

"It's so pretty..."

"It is," the Queen replied. "The groundskeeper makes sure that there are always flowers here, any time of the year."

"Snow's early this year, is it not, Your Majesty?" Anna asked, realizing it was only early autumn. Normally, snow wouldn't fall for at least two months.

"Really, Anna, there's no need to be so formal. You can call me Elsa, just for today," the Queen sighed. "As for the snow... yes, I suppose it is..."

_Call her Elsa? Just like that? Why would I do that?_

"Because being called 'Your Majesty' all the time is really tiring. And it doesn't really allow one to make friends."

"Oh dear, did I think out loud again? I thought out loud again. Sorry, bad habit. I'll just call you Elsa then, Your Majesty. I mean Elsa. I'll just call you Elsa then, Elsa. Wait, what? I don't even know what I'm talking about anymore. I should shut up. Definitely. Wait, you said you wanted to be friends?" Anna was forced to stop talking by her lungs screaming for a new intake of breath. "Sorry."

To her surprise, the Queen – no, _Elsa _– actually laughed. Not a forced smile. Not a hidden giggle. No, an actual, full-blown laugh. Anna thought it sounded like ringing bells, singing birds, and a dozen other beautiful and melodic sounds.

"Yes, Anna, I did express the wish to become friends."

They halted in front of a large evergreen, looking at the birds flitting around its branches. "Why would the Queen want to befriend a simple farming girl?" Anna asked sceptically.

"Being the Queen doesn't make it easy to find friends," Elsa sighed. "People are always polite, yes. But they are also subservient. They tell me what I think I want to hear. They try to show as much decorum as they can when they are around me. Really, your honesty, your mannerisms, even your rambling, are remarkably refreshing. Besides, I don't know many women who would go and sleep outside voluntarily just to make me comfortable."

Anna was actually mute for a while, pondering over Elsa's words in her head. "I suppose..." More silence. "I suppose that makes sense," Anna finally said. Elsa smiled at her – again the honest and true smile, not the politically correct one – as they slowly sauntered through the garden. After a while, they reached a field without plants – yet more beautiful than the rest of the garden put together.

Anna marvelled at the collection of ice sculptures in front of her. There were small ones on stone pedestals – birds, flowers, busts, butterflies and an assortment of other small animals – and there were large ones, depicting humans, large animals, and even a few creatures that seemed to come straight out of a fairytale. Completely forgetting her companion, Anna rushed from sculpture to sculpture, studying as many of them as possible. Eventually, she stopped near a large sculpture, depicting a fable beast, half lion and half bird, standing on a cliff.

_The details are remarkable... I can see every feather and hair on its body. And its eyes look so real. Almost as if it could fly off at any given moment._

"It's so pretty," Anna sighed when she heard Elsa walking up to her. "What is it?"

"A Griffin," came Elsa's reply. "It's one of the latest additions to this collection."

Anna reached out to touch its beak. Once her hand came into contact with the ice, she felt an intense cold running through her body, but unlike usual cold it didn't feel unpleasant, and she didn't draw her hand back. After the initial surprise at the cold had seized, she felt something else. Something she couldn't describe with words. A feeling of... comfort? Safety?

_God, I really have no clue..._

"Careful," Elsa smiled. "Wouldn't want your hand to get stuck there. Most people wouldn't even touch it in the first place, let alone keep their hand on it." Her voice actually sounded somewhat surprised. As Anna pulled her hand back, another gust of chilly wind wafted around them, causing her to shiver.

_Really? I can practically hug an ice sculpture but the wind is making me cold?_

Elsa's brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, Anna. I hadn't thought about the temperature. I suppose this isn't the best time of the year for walking out here. Let's go have lunch?" she shot her an apologetic smile – which made Anna's insides melt – and held out her arm, which merely confused her.

"Don't worry about it. I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on these sculptures. And yes, lunch sounds good about now." They'd been in the gardens for over forty minutes already...

Elsa, apparently realizing Anna wasn't certain what to do, took Anna's arm and hooked it through her own, before setting a brisk pace towards the palace entrance again.

_Holy...! Is this really happening? Her arm is so cold! Why are we even walking like this? Is this normal for her? Why are the guards looking at us like that? Why isn't she talking? Is she expecting me to talk? She looks content just walking. Maybe silence isn't that bad... Where are we even going? Oh, right, library! Lunch at the library, that's what she told Gerda. Chocolate! Oh, lord, I hope there's going to be a lot of chocolate!_

Anna was vaguely aware of the fact that her mind was in overdrive, and she was actually surprised when they came to a halt in front of a richly decorated door. _Well, this must be the library..._

When Elsa opened the door and walked her inside the large room, Anna felt her mouth falling open. She'd enjoyed reading since she was small and had spent many days on her mother's lap working through storybooks and fairytales. When she was ten, and her mother passed away, she had clung to her books in an attempt to remember those good times. After reading them too many times, however, they had fallen apart, leaving her with nothing at all. Reading wasn't something people did in Hellmark, usually people were busy with either work or sleep, and it was hard to find new books. She only had three, all fairy tales, from which she occasionally read to the children of the village.

She had _never_ seen this many books gathered in one place. The library was not just large – it was massive. Case after case filled with books – story books, fairytales, encyclopaedias, folders filled with maps and drawings. To their right, there was a small round table, accompanied by two fauteuils, and a large oaken cabinet near a grand fireplace.

Gerda already stood waiting for them, a patient smile around her lips and a slight twinkle in her eyes. Her hands rested on a trolley, filled with silver platters that – unfortunately- were still covered. "Your Majesty, Ms. Oaken. I hope you enjoyed your afternoon stroll."

"Yes!" Anna almost bellowed, before clasping her hand over her mouth.

Elsa smiled, giving a slight squeeze in Anna's hand. "Very much so, Gerda."

"I've taken the liberty of lighting the fireplace for you two. And I took everything 'chocolaty' that I could find in the kitchens. There's chocolate milk, chocolate cake, chocolate muffins, chocolate pudding, chocolate- Ah, well, you get the gist."

"Thank you Gerda," Elsa smiled, indicating that she could leave. Elsa walked over to the table, motioning for Anna to sit in one of the easy chairs as she took a chessboard from the table and placed it into the cabinet lined against the wall. For a while, the silence was only broken by the crackling of the fire and the clatter of plates as Elsa moved them from the trolley to the table.

"Don't you have servants to do that for you?" Anna asked amusedly.

"I do. But I also have two perfectly capable hands," Elsa smiled in return.

Anna looked at all the chocolate goodness in front of her, and realised that she must have died and landed in heaven. The heat from the fire was making her comfortably lazy as she indulged herself. She was so busy, it took her a while to notice that Elsa – the Queen – was consuming as much chocolate as she herself. An achievement Anna had thought impossible up to now.

Once all of the chocolate was gone – either consumed or molten – Anna laid back in her chair. Elsa moved the plates back to the trolley before looking at her. "What would you like to do now?"

"Could you read to me?" Anna asked. As soon as the words had left her, she felt somewhat ashamed. "My mother and I used to read," she continued to explain. "But there aren't many books in Hellmark. Only three, actually, I think. And... it'd be nice to hear some new tales."

Elsa merely smiled, holding up one finger to indicate Anna to wait a moment, and walked off. She disappeared between the bookcases, and returned with a large, red tome after a minute or so. "I think you might like this one," she smiled, sitting down again and opening the large book.

"After having been away from his kingdom for a great many years," Elsa started, "the prince returned to the capital. There, he found nothing but chaos, destruction, and death. In his palace, he found his fiancée, Princess Isabelle, tending to many injured soldiers. Rejoiced to see him again, she explained to the prince how the demonic werewolf had come and attacked a year after he had left..."

Anna listened to the story with childlike wonder as Elsa read on and told her how the Prince, a great warrior, and the Princess, a powerful sorceress, fought the threat together, and persevered through the strength of their love. When she closed her eyes, she could see it vividly, and after some time, she became aware of the fact that she was actually dreaming, though still hearing Elsa's gentle voice telling the story.

* * *

><p>Elsa looked up from her book and smiled as Anna stretched and yawned, her eyes finally fluttering open again. She had been sleeping in her chair for nearly three hours. Elsa had continued reading the tale for a while, but eventually she had put the book down and retrieved the book she had been reading for herself from the cabinet, reading it in silence.<p>

Anna, finally aware of her surroundings again, smiled at her bashfully. "I guess I was more tired than I thought," she muttered. "Sorry about falling asleep like that."

"Quite alright," Elsa smiled back. "It's hard to fight sleep when listening to a tale in front of a warm fire. I have some experience in that department."

"How long was I out?"

"Three hours or so. Your brother returned half an hour ago. You'll be heading back to Hellmark in two hours."

Elsa liked to think of herself as an expert in reading people. If she was not misreading Anna's countenance, she perceived both happiness and sadness. The latter, however, seemed to be more prominent. "Are you not happy to return home?"

"Oh, I am... It's just that... I really enjoyed today, you know? I know we hardly know each other, but for some reason it just feels like we've been friends for ages... No, forget I said that. We're hardly even friends and I'm just being weird."

"I'd like to think of us as friends," Elsa responded softly, causing Anna's face to split into a smile that almost looked painful. "And I really enjoyed our day as well. So, how do you suggest we spend our remaining time?"

"Well," Anna started. "I didn't really catch what happened to the werewolf..."

Elsa smiled and picked the heavy tome up again, opening it where she had left off. As she read, she was painfully aware of the silly smile on her own face, as well as Anna's.

* * *

><p>Elsa sat in front of the fire again. Anna and Kristoff had left a few hours ago, and she and Hans had seen them off at the main gate of the castle. She had assured Anna that this would not be the last time they'd see each other – and one way or another she would make sure to keep that promise. Anna was growing very dear to her, short as their acquaintance had been so far. Right now, however, she had more pressing matters to set her mind to.<p>

She had felt it as soon as Anna had touched her ice sculpture. It had... changed something. Elsa had been experimenting with her powers for some time – since the death of her parents, to be perfectly honest – and was making good progress. She could craft anything she wanted in mere minutes if she tried hard enough. She could even bring her creations to life. That was exactly where things went wrong, though.

A few months back, she had been practicing that very thing on a large, sloppily made ice golem. It had come to life. Very much so, in fact. It had taken its large fist and slammed a hole in the wall of the courtyard where she had been practicing. Obviously, that had not been her intention, but the golem didn't seem to care. At all. Next thing she knew, it went straight for the three guards that kept her company. The only reason _they_ were still alive was Elsa's reflex of disintegrating the golem. All experiments following that one had resulted in more or less the same.

She heard the door open and close behind her, but didn't look round. She didn't have to. The only one who would disturb her in the library at this time was Hans. And, surely enough, he lowered himself into the vacant seat next to her.

"So..." he started after a while. "Guess what. I just took a walk in the garden to clear my head, and noticed one of your sculptures was gone..."

"The Griffin," Elsa replied. It wasn't a question. Merely a statement.

Hans nodded, but didn't say anything.

"It's at the North Mountain," Elsa continued. "Flying around in the blizzard."

The only indicators of his surprise was the slight raising of eyebrows. "Is it...?"

"It's obedient, yes."

"How?"

"I'm... not entirely certain."

Hans was silent still, knowing that Elsa would continue talking after gathering her thoughts. "Anna touched it. Something changed. Then it listened."

They shared another moment of silence. It was a comfortable silence, and they both enjoyed it while they could, knowing that it would be broken soon enough. After a while, Hans sighed.

"The scouts have returned."

Elsa nodded, as practiced in the role of listener as Hans had just been.

"It doesn't look good, Elsa. Shadowacre, Estershade, Greybell, Shadehall and Fogmount have rallied under the witch. According to my scouts they're raising armies. Arendelle won't be their first target, but with such numbers, it's only a matter of time..."

"You know I don't like the word 'witch,' Hans." A deep sigh. "What about Foxcliff, Freybank and Goldlake?"

"Neutral for now, it seems. The rest of the scouts are scheduled to come back in a few days."

Elsa nodded again as Hans raised himself from the chair. "I'll write to Rapunzel and Merida tomorrow. They need to know too. What about the Southern Isles?"

Hans wavered for a moment. "Father and I haven't exactly been on good terms since I decided to remain here, but I'll ask for his support nonetheless."

Hans nodded, half to Elsa and half to himself, and then walked off. Before he opened the door, though, he turned around. "Elsa... I'm sorry for ending today on such a macabre note. I didn't mean to ruin a good day."

Elsa raised her eyebrows with an unasked question. As usual, she didn't need to phrase it for Hans to understand.

"You were happier today than I've seen you in years. Well, except for the goodbye at the gates, that is."

Hans took his leave, closing the door behind him.

_Yes. I suppose I was._

* * *

><p><strong>So, I finally finished writing out a plot for this story. Well, more or less. Okay, fine, I'm still improvising, but with a general idea of where I'm going... Thoughts, feedback, compliments and good jokes are always welcomed, either via review or PM. And a big, big, big 'thank you' to everone who followed, favorited, and reviewed this story so far. You are all awesome people, and you make me all mushy inside. I literally do a happy dance for every review I get :)<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

Anna was sitting in her tree again. She was fully aware of the fact that this was probably the last time this year she would be able to do so. Soon, temperatures would start dropping, and it would be too cold for her to be here and still be able to unwind. She'd probably freeze to death. In fact, it was already a little chilly at the moment, and the only reason Anna felt comfortable now was the blanket she had brought along to wrap herself in.

She just needed a little time and space to think. So much had happened over the past few days. She had had the most wonderful day with Queen Elsa, not even a week back now, and it had turned her mind into a puddle of useless goo. She had been sad to leave – much more so than her brother. He had 'enjoyed his time at the palace, but was really relieved to be going home again.' Apparently, royalty didn't really agree with him as much as it did with Anna. Queen Elsa and Prince Hans had seen them off, making sure that they had plenty of food (from the palace kitchens) and dinner outfits with them. The expensive gown now hung in Anna's closet, as far from the others as possible.

When they had been halfway to Hellmark, their sleigh had been overtaken by a rider. He had handed Anna a package, bowed, and driven off the way he had come. Once Anna had taken off the simple brown paper, she found herself holding an intricately decorated book with several lesser known fairy tales. On the first page, she had found a little text, written in the most delicate handwriting in existence. It had read _Dear Anna, consider this book a gift, by which to remember the day we spent together. No returning it, please! I hope to see you again in the future. Signed, Queen Elsa of Arendelle._

Just reading the note Anna had almost swooned. Kristoff had looked at her with a curious expression, and she was very grateful that he had decided not to ask anything. When they had arrived home, they came upon another royal horseman, this one camping out in one of their barns. They told their father everything that had happened, and he appeared overjoyed. Apparently, the rider had already delivered the new lease, which was far more agreeable than the previous ones had been.

And then he had told them about the elections. Apparently, Hellmark would be getting a mayor to represent the citizens of the village in a newly formed council. The position would involve a lot of community work, talking to people and keeping up to date with their wants and needs, keeping track of opinions on important matters. It would also involve a lot of travelling: every time the council would gather, the representative would make their way from Hellmark to the capital. They would get to stay at Town Hall for the duration of the meetings, and then return.

It was already a universally accepted truth that Asger Oaken would become Hellmark's representative. He was, after all, not only the largest man in the village, but also the most important, most well-known and well-liked. And he seemed to be okay with accepting the position, since it would be for the wellbeing of his fellow citizens.

The next day, Oaken Farm had been visited by _another_ rider. This one specifically asked for 'Ms. Oaken,' which could of course only be Anna. He handed her another package. It had contained three more books – an epic tale about a sorcerer, a collection of children's stories and nursery rhymes, and the story Queen Elsa had read to her in the library. Anna had cleared a spot on her desk, where her new collection of books now proudly stood. She was starting to feel like a spoiled child, and if she ever got the chance, she'd have to have a little talk with Elsa about that...

And then the elections had come round. There were three days for voting, but by the end of the first day everyone with voting rights had already deposited their slip in the box, so the election was closed early, and the rider that had been sent by the Queen started counting the votes. The next morning, he had announced that Asger Oaken had indeed received the most votes. It had appeared as if he had wanted to say 'all the votes,' but maybe Anna, and several others, had just imagined that.

The rider left, and that was the end of that entire affair. Or so Anna thought. It had been early in the evening, three or four days later, when she had opened the door to find the portly head servant of the Queen on their front porch. She could remember that evening particularly well.

"Kai?"

"Good evening, Ms. Oaken. A pleasure to see you in such good health. I was hoping to speak to your father?"

"Right! Of course. Come in, please?"

Kai had stepped in and taken a seat at the table, while Anna opened the door at the back of the house.

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!" she had bellowed, not knowing where her father was working exactly. He had come running as fast as he could, probably thinking Anna was dying or close to it, and was ready to start scolding her when she revealed their visitor. The entire issue was suddenly forgotten.

"Anna, you go and clean your room, ya?"

Anna had known better than to protest. It wouldn't have helped one bit. So, she walked up the stairs, opened her door, and closed it again. After which she tiptoed back to the top of the stairs, quietly as possible, to listen in on the conversation.

"Mr. Oaken," Kai started, "congratulations on your... overwhelming success in the elections."

"Thank you. I'm very honoured, hm?"

"Good, good. Now, the Queen would like the council to gather for the first time in two weeks. There won't be anything of importance to discuss, no, no... It will just serve for everyone to make each other's acquaintance, and Her Majesty will instruct you on your duties, rights, benefits, financial compensation... thing like that."

Anna could practically hear her father nodding.

"Your stay in the capital will be the length of a week," Kai continued. "There will be several meetings of the council, a tour of the city, and a ball for all the representatives."

She almost fell off the stairs at the mention of a "ball." After all, was that not any girl's deepest desire? Right now, she was starting to regret that she hadn't entered into the elections herself. _But I would blow at diplomacy..._

"Very good," Oaken answered. "I will make arrangements for the farm."

"Of course, marvellous. One more thing, though..."

Kai sounded apprehensive, as if he wasn't exactly certain of what he was going to say. Everything up to now had sounded so official, carefully planned and meticulously performed, Anna couldn't help but think the next bit was not part of the official talk.

Silence. More silence.

"Anna! I know you are on the stairs, ya? Go to your room, hm?"

_Well damn. _

Anna heard a door close downstairs, and after that she could only make out muffled voices. _Might as well go to my room, then..._

When she had come downstairs for dinner, Kai had left and Kristoff had returned from wherever he had been. Halfway through dinner, their father had opened the subject again.

"Kristoff, I will not be here next week. You can take care of the farm with the farmhands, ya?"

Kristoff, his mouth stuffed with potatoes and carrots, nodded. "Whu bt A'a?"

_What?_ Anna had thought, but somehow, her father had been able to understand him.

"Anna will be coming to the capital with me," he had explained, very casually.

_Oh? ... Oh!_

"Why?"

Asger merely shrugged, knitting his brow in thought. "I... don't know. The man that was here asked for her. Told me it was important. He didn't say more, and I didn't ask. Anna enjoyed the capital, so I thought she might like to return."

"YES! YES! DOUBLE YES! OH YES! ABSOLUTELY!"

Asger and Kristoff had both brought their hands to their ears at Anna's outbursts, and they could hear Sven running away from the window outside. _Okay, so that was a little too enthusiastic. Maybe. _

Anna smiled as a cloud drifted away, allowing the sun to hit her face, and she wiggled around on her branch a bit, trying to get more comfortable. _Yes, it's been a strange few days... This time tomorrow, I'll be in the capital again. Staying at Town Hall should be fun... Wonder if I'll get a chance to see Elsa again... We'll be there for a week... And why did Kai want me to come anyway?_

That was a question she had asked herself many times since his visit. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get a satisfying answer. The best she had come up with was the idea that the Queen liked her, and maybe they wanted Anna to make her less lonely? But that was a ridiculous notion in itself, of course. Queens don't get lonely, they are surrounded by people all the time. And yes, Elsa had said she didn't have many friends, but surely she had plenty of people she liked? Enough not to be lonely? So she had set to thinking up more reasons, some even more ridiculous than others.

* * *

><p>The capital hadn't changed a bit. Well, that should not have come as such a big surprise, Anna had only been away for a measly two weeks, after all. Anna managed to lead her father to Town Hall, remembering the roads Sven had pulled their sleight through. Sven was not here, though, so she couldn't count on his guidance. Their horses were taken to the stables in the back, and they walked in timidly, both feeling somewhat out of their comfort zone.<p>

Anna didn't recognise any faces once they entered, but walked up to a middle aged woman sitting behind her desk. Her father lingered behind, his eyes still scanning the grand hall he suddenly found himself in. Anna giggled silently at the realisation that it must have been _ages_ since he left Hellmark.

"What can I do for you, miss?"

"Oh, right! Uh, my father is Asger Oaken, representative of Hellmark..."

The woman nodded and pulled out a stack of papers. "Oaken... Oaken... Let me see..." She kept flipping through the papers. "Nirtham, Nuring, Orthal... I'm sorry, miss, there are no bookings for Oaken."

Anna looked at her. She didn't seem as malicious as Orthal had, so she figured it was just a mistake. "Could you... please check again?"

"That won't be necessary, I'm afraid this is all my fault," she heard from behind them. Anna grinned as she realised Kai had the uncanny ability to appear where and when you least expected him to.

"Please follow me, Mr. Oaken, Ms. Oaken," he smiled, gesturing outside. "Your horses will be taken care of."

They walked outside, and Kai led them uphill, following the winding road. After a minute or so, Anna felt confident enough to talk. "You're taking us to the castle?"

"Yes, Ms. Oaken."

"Why?"

"Queen Elsa has... made arrangements. You and your father will be staying at the castle."

"Why?"

Kai smiled. "Queen Elsa mentioned not having had a chance to repay your father's kindness during her stay in Hellmark. Also, she thought it would probably be best to keep you and Lord Orthal separated as much as possible."

"Oh... He's at Town Hall?"

"Yes. He was demoted after failing to fulfil the Queen's request for your lease in time. He returned to Glamveil, a city a few hours north of Hellmark, and now returned as their representative."

_She actually demoted Orthal? Oh my god, that's so awesome!_

Anna attempted to hide her glee, but judging by Kai's conspiratorial smirk, she was failing in doing so. Kai led them up to the same rooms Anna and Kristoff had occupied during their last visit. "Here we are. Mr Oaken, the council will gather at eleven tomorrow morning, in the throne room. Dinner will be brought to your rooms momentarily. If there is anything you need, feel free to call one of the servants – there will be one around at all times."

Anna laughed as her father entered his room, completely taken aback by the attention. Anna suspected he knew that this was singular, even for representatives – and maybe Anna was just a little pompous or misguided, but she couldn't help feeling this was, at the _very_ least, partially because of her relation with Elsa.

_Relation? Really, Anna? You spend one day with the Queen and you have a 'relation?' _

Anna didn't ponder on it for too long, though. She remembered the softness of the bed, and was rather eager to make use of it again. In her room, she found that not much had changed. Except for the fact that there was a book on her nightstand – 'The Grand Adventure of the Abominable Snowman' – and an expensive looking dress hanging from her closet. She also found a little note on the table in front of the window.

_Dear Anna, _

_Welcome back!_

_I left you a book for some bedtime reading, in case you didn't bring one of your own. Also, I was hoping to spend some time with you tomorrow afternoon. I have to be present at the council meeting first, but Gerda will be around to see to your needs. Let her know if you'll be available to keep me company, and she'll make sure I get the message._

_Also, the dress is another present. I heard you mumbling something about a 'potato sack dress' and felt the situation needed to be rectified._

_-Elsa_

Anna looked at the dress. The model was quite simple, but it still managed to look very... well... expensive. It was a dark shade of red – a colour she would normally avoid due to the hue of her hair – but was otherwise very reminiscent of her new green dress.

She jumped when someone knocked on the door, but smiled fondly as Gerda came walking in with a trolley. "Good evening, Ms. Oaken. I hope you are well?"

"Very. Thank you, Gerda."

"Good. I brought dinner. I included an extra slice of chocolate cake for dessert, but let's keep that our little secret, okay?"

Anna nodded with a sly grin. "Sure thing."

"Just leave the trolley outside when you're done, dear, and I'll be by to pick it up."

As Gerda turned to leave, Anna suddenly remembered the note. "Gerda! Could you... The Queen asked me to let you know whether I'll spend the afternoon with her tomorrow."

"Yes?"

"Yes!"

"What?"

"I mean – uh – Yes, I'll spend the afternoon with her?"

"Lovely dear. I'll be around to help you get ready tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Gerda hadn't been joking when she said she'd be around. When Anna woke up around half past eleven – only faintly realising her father was already in his meeting – and slowly got up and sauntered to the door, she found the kindly woman waiting outside, an endlessly patient smile on her face.<p>

"Good morning, Ms. Oaken."

"Mo'nin'," Anna yawned, trying to hide it behind her hand.

"I assume you slept well?"

"Hmmhmm."

"I brought pancakes for breakfast, I do hope that's alright. Now here you go, dear. You enjoy this, and I'll start drawing you a bath."

Little under an hour later, Anna was ready for the day. She had bathed and was now wearing the new dress. Elsa, however, was still in her meeting, and Anna didn't feel like being alone while waiting. "Gerda? Could we... maybe, I dunno, take a walk?"

"Of course, dear!" Gerda beamed. "Where would you like to go?"

"The gardens, please."

"Very well."

To her surprise, and disappointment, the ice sculpture of the Griffin wasn't there anymore. Where it used to stand, she now found the sculpture of a wolf. It was at least three times her size, and Anna marvelled as she studied every individual hair on its body. Like the Griffin, its eyes were incredibly lifelike.

"Gerda... I'd like to meet the sculptor. Would that be possible?"

"Meet the sculptor?"

"Yes. Whoever made these..."

"You already have, dear. Did Her Majesty not tell you? She makes these herself."

Anna knew she should be surprised. And, in vague sense, she was. But mostly, she just thought it logical and natural that these sculptures were made by Elsa's hand. It seemed like something she would do. She gently reached her hand out, placing it on the wolf's snout. Just like before, she was overwhelmed with an incredibly cold wave, without it actually feeling unpleasant. And, like before, it was followed with the comforting feeling of... Well, she still hadn't found the right word.

"Gerda? What do you feel when you touch this?"

Gerda looked at her quizzically, but hesitantly reached out to touch the wolf's flank. She immediately pulled her hand back. "Just ice. Very cold ice. I'm not sure you should keep your hand on it like that, Ms. Oaken..."

Anna looked at her hand, only now realizing it was still on the icy snout. "Right..." she muttered, withdrawing her hand hesitantly. She trailed a finger in between the wolf's eyes, noticing how the comforting feeling immediately returned, but the cold wave did not. Wondering, she walked over to the next sculpture.

This one depicted a large bear, standing on its hind legs and looking positively feral. The details were as extensive as those on the other sculptures, and Anna grew more impressed with Elsa's skills the more she saw. She reached out to touch this one as well, and immediately the blast of cold invaded her senses again, before the comforting feeling settled over her. _Strange..._

Anna was so overwhelmed and intrigued by the sculptures around her she didn't even notice Gerda slowly withdrawing, a curious smile forming around her lips and a shiny twinkle in her eyes.

* * *

><p>The meeting was almost at its end when it happened. Elsa had been explaining the duties of the newly formed council when she had suddenly gotten distracted.<p>

_Anna's in the ice garden_.

She was certain of it. She ignored the feeling of the wolf coming to life and awaiting her orders. She just told it to stay put, at least for the time being. After all, it wouldn't do for a wolf the size of a bear to suddenly start roaming the palace. Especially with Anna still there.

"So, as I was saying, you will be called here for nationwide decisions that affect the citizens you represent..." _The bear. _"For decisions that are either irrelevant for your citizens, or decisions that need to be made urgently..." _The lion._ "... you will not be called back here. Instead, you will be informed via carrier pigeon so as to..." _The troll and the unicorn. _"...be able to keep your districts in the loop. Furthermore, for decisions on war, you will also not be asked for your opinions, since..." _The eagle. _"... since those would require specialised training, and..." _The snake. _"... would also need to be made with haste. Unfortunately, this council simply isn't equipped for such decisions..." _The Centaur. _"Any questions?" _The Phoenix. _"No? Good. We will meet again tomorrow, where we'll discuss..." _The elephant_. "... the protocol for our gatherings."

Elsa didn't wait for the representatives to leave. She noticed an angry looking Lord Orthal coming towards her, but waved him away before he could even utter a single word. She had someplace to be. As she rushed through the halls towards her ice garden, she kept feeling the strange sensation, over and over again.

_The goat. The peacock. The butterfly. The... oh god, no... not the dragon. _Elsa groaned as she pushed the doors to the gardens open forcibly. The dragon was the largest of her creations, towering high over the walls of the courtyard in which it was contained. If something went wrong with that one... She didn't want to think about that...

At least she knew exactly where to find Anna. Surely enough, she found her sitting on the end of the dragon's tail, deep in thought judging by the look on her face.

"Hello Anna," she smiled.

"Elsa! Or... should I call you Elsa or Your Majesty?"

"As long as it is just you and me, Elsa is fine. That's not a chair, by the way," she added with a smirk. It was amazing how easy it was to be herself around this woman.

"Yeah, well," Anna started, looking a little indignant. "Maybe you should just _make_ me a chair then?"

_What? Did she know? How? _

Of course, her powers weren't _exactly _a secret, but she had long ago decided not to flaunt it around. Apparently, her confusion was evident on her face, as Anna started to giggle.

"Gerda told me you made these yourself. It's hard to... you know... imagine you with a hammer and chisel. How do you get the details so fine and small? Really tiny hammer and chisel?"

Elsa released a breath in relief. So Anna didn't know about her powers. Not yet, at least. She'd need to have a word with Gerda, though.

_Wait? Do I _want_ Anna to know? What if she will think poorly of me?_

"Well, not exactly, Anna," she smiled, silently making a decision for herself. If Anna dropped it now, she wouldn't tell yet. If she kept asking, she would. Simple as that.

"Then how?" Anna almost whined.

Elsa couldn't help but grin a little. "Name an animal."

"A horse?"

_That should be easy. I've done plenty of those..._

Elsa spread her arms in front of her, forming a cup with her hands. With a little bit of concentration, she felt the cold seep through her arms, gathering in her hands, and then flowing out. A perfect snowflake formed in between her hands. Anna looked on in amazement, her eyes growing wide as the snowflake drifted to the ground. But Elsa wasn't done yet – that had only been the easy part.

She closed her eyes, bringing up the mental image of a horse, whinnying with flaring manes. Once that was done, she made sure to apply the details on the picture in her mind, every separate hair she could see, if she tried hard enough. The look in its eyes, fierce and determined, she imagined.

When she opened her eyes again, the horse was still there. Except this one was real, and made entirely of her ice. Realisation suddenly hit her hard. She had shown Anna. But Anna was nowhere to be seen. And then it happened. She touched the horse, and that strange, tingling feeling shot through Elsa's body again.

"That's totally awesome, Elsa. So you _can_ shoot ice from your hands! _And_ you're the most gorgeous woman in the kingdom. Life just isn't fair, sometimes."

"What?"

Anna and Elsa both blushed heavily – Elsa at the compliment, Anna at the slip of her tongue, for she hadn't actually meant to say it out loud. Elsa was the first to recover. "Shall we head to the library? We can talk there..."

Anna nodded, a sparkling light shining behind her eyes.

* * *

><p>She stood looking out to the lands below her. The highest balcony of her tower allowed her to overlook a large part of her land, and she delighted in watching the shadows dance across the ground. It was a little after noon, she estimated. Probably around two. But that didn't matter anymore. The dark mist in the sky was thick enough to block out most of the sun.<p>

Her hand reached out to a dark strand of her hair, and she wrapped it around her finger as the footsteps behind her drew closer. She didn't like being disturbed – but they all had sacrifices to make for the cause.

"Milady, my men just reported back. They found another one."

Dark mist started whirling around her feet. "Where?"

"Foxcliff."

"Go and collect it. Put it with the others."

"Milady, I think we might need your help with this one."

She turned around swiftly, the dark mist around her feet now rising up to her hips. "You _what?"_

The man immediately dropped down to his knees. "Pardon, Milady, but this one appears... more powerful than the others."

"Rise."

The man got up from his knees, but still kept his head down. She walked over to him, behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "It's alright..." she muttered, willing the dark mist to reach her hands. "You're going to Foxcliff, and you're going to collect it for me. Aren't you?"

The mist now clouded from her hands to his face, whirling around his head for a few seconds. Something flashed through his eyes, before everything returned to normal again.

"Of course, Milady. Not a problem. We'll be back in a week's time."

* * *

><p><strong>Alright. First off: I'm <em>very<em> sorry. This chapter is pretty boring, I imagine. But there was some stuff here that just had to happen. The next chapter will feature a ball, so I guess that's nice? I had planned for that to be in this chapter, but it would have become way too long. Hence this rather uneventful chapter. So, next chapter will have a ball, and the conversation between Elsa and Anna that follows immediately after the little outing in the gardens. Would that be alright? Please don't be too mad? :3**

**A BIG thank-you to everyone who followed and favorited. And an especially BIG THANK-YOU to everyone who has reviewed/PM'ed me. You lot are really the most awesome people ever, and I'll do my best to make the next chapter more worthwhile. That's a promise! I might even get it out there before the end of the year! :3**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, a few things that need to be adressed before you can start reading (unless you skip this part, that is...). Firstly, I still have a lot of ideas for this story, but I seem to be drawing a blank on the next chapter, where I have maybe enough ideas for 500 or so words... Soooo, suggestions are most welcome. **

**Secondly, I'd like to apologize in advance for my somewhat irregular updating schedule - I'm balancing four stories, university, my job, and my partner, so I don't always get to write as often and as much as I'd like. I'd love to promise y'all that I'll be faster or equally fast as I'm now, but that would be an empty promise, so instead I'll just tell you to PM me if you think one of my stories has gone without updates for too long. The mail notification should kick in and get me back to work if need be... :)**

**Also, I've been getting tons of PMs about my personal life, and I didn't answer any of them... So I'll just share what I'm willing to share here for everyone interested. If you don't care, feel free to move on the the actual story... :) I'm a woman, 22 years old, British (though currently studying in The Netherlands far half a year), and my name is Caitlyn-Elizabeth (Yes, my parents went crazy with the naming - generally people just use either of the two...). I guess that's all you folks need to know, really... :)**

* * *

><p><em>Dear Merida,<em>

_I am so sorry for my late reply! So much has happened the last month that I hardly know where to begin. Well, let me start at the start, to make it easier for you. I know how hard written correspondence can be on your concentration..._

_Thank you for the goat you sent me with your last letter. Although I'm not entirely certain why I would need a goat. If it is your best idea to deal with my loneliness, I fear you failed rather badly. If it was with the intention of making me laugh, you were very successful. Also, I'm of the opinion that he does not like the cold very much. He reminds me of you that way..._

_My public campaign through Arendelle was a great success, but a total drag. I can't stand seeing noblemen for the next month. There were a few especially annoying ones in the larger cities. All in all, the tour was useful but boring, I suppose. Then again, something caught my attention in a little village a few hours north of my castle. Well, someone, to be completely honest. But I'll tell you more about that when I see you in person. It's a little embarrassing, so I wouldn't want you to miss out on the opportunity to laugh in my face._

_My 'iciness' is doing great, thank you for asking. I do think I scared the aforementioned goat into submission with the likeness of a rather feral wolf..._

_This next part of the letter you might want to share with your parents:_

_We've received reports from the northern kingdoms – Shadowacre, Greybell, Fogmount and their surroundings. They all seem to have rallied under a 'gifted individual.' We're not entirely sure what we are dealing with at the moment, but they seem to be raising armies. It's rather concerning, especially since Arendelle is the only way for them to reach the southern kingdoms. Sooner or later they will come marching to our doorstep. _

_There's no need to reply (to this part of the letter, at least). I just wanted to make sure you and your family were aware of the situation. We can discuss it further when you come to Arendelle for the Yule celebrations. You are still coming, right?_

_-Love Elsa._

She put the letter down on her desk, brushing her hand through the wild red hair, wincing when her fingers got caught in several knots.

_I'll have until Yule to think about that witch. 'Gifted individual,' me arse. Mustn't forget to show mum and dad. Make a mental note. Done! _

Merida stuffed the letter in the pocket of her riding breeches, reaching out for her bow.

_At least she liked the goat..._

* * *

><p>"So," Elsa started once they were seated in the easy chairs of the library, the fire roaring in the fireplace. "I imagine you have a lot of questions now."<p>

Anna furrowed her brow, the confidence she had felt in the garden nowhere to be found now. After a while, it seemed as if she made up her mind on her line of questioning, and she slowly opened her mouth. "Since when were you able to do... that?"

"Well... I've had these powers since birth. I only learned to control them when I was fifteen or something close to that... And after the death of my parents, I started actively practicing with them. The ice sculptures are something from the past year."

"Are you the only one who can do this?"

Elsa cocked her head to the side. "The only one with magic, or the only one with ice magic?"

"Both, I suppose?"

"Okay. No, there are others with magic, although they are few and far between. I do believe I'm the only one in the kingdom with magic. And, as far as I know, the only one entirely with ice powers. But there are many people in the world, and I hardly know anything about most of them."

Anna nodded, deep in thought. She opened her mouth to ask another question, then closed it again. And went back to thinking.

_Is there something she's afraid to ask?_

Anna opened and closed her mouth several more times while staring into the fire, making her look like a fish gasping air. "Your ice... is it like normal ice?"

"Yes and no," Elsa answered hesitantly. "It's a difficult question. I can make a heap of snow right here, and it would be _just_ a heap of snow. In front of the fire, it would melt within minutes. But I could also make a snowball for you and place it on the table between us – and it would still be there tomorrow, even if we'd let the fire burn. And when I try especially hard, my ice can get... other special properties. Any particular reason for asking?"

"It's just that..." Anna let the sentence linger for a while, before picking it up again. "I asked Gerda to touch your ice this morning, and she didn't feel anything special. Just ice. But... when I touch it, I get this strange feeling."

This spiked Elsa's curiosity. "Strange feeling?"

Anna nodded frantically. "At first, a wave of cold blasts through me, making me feel like I'll be frozen in place forever. But it's not unpleasant! Not at all, actually. And it only lasts for like a few seconds? And then another feeling takes over... and it feels of... comfort... No, that's not it... Safety, maybe?"

"Trust," Elsa muttered to herself. "Comfort, and safety, and trust..."

"Yes! Those are the right words! How did you-"

"Anna. I need to tell you something. But you have to promise to keep it a secret."

Anna nodded, recognizing the serious tone in Elsa's voice and realising this was in earnest. Elsa took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "I can imbue my creations with life. But there's a little catch to it... It's easier to show you."

Within seconds, she had crafted a little dove in the palm of her hands, the ice sparkling brilliantly in the light of the fire. As soon as she willed it to life, it took off, flying around their heads frantically, hitting the wall several times before finally crashing in the fireplace.

"Loose cannon," Elsa stated matter-of-factly. "No control whatsoever."

She brought her hands together again, creating an identical bird, but not willing it to life yet. "Touch it, please," she muttered as she held it out to Anna. She felt the strange sensation, and the look on Anna's face betrayed that she felt the same. This time, the bird flitted up carefully, landing on Anna's shoulder and cooing softly. Then it landed on the table, taking one of the chess pieces off the board and moving it diagonally.

"Check mate. Perfect control."

Anna's eyes were wide with wonder. Her gaze flicked from the fireplace to the little bird that now strutted around the table. "But how?"

"I'm not sure. Somehow, I can control my creations after you've touched them. But frankly, I'm hardly an expert, even though they _are_ my powers. I have no idea how or why. Not yet, at least... I was as amazed as you were last time you visited..."

"Last time I... Oh! So the Griffin?"

"She's at the North Mountain. She likes flying at high altitudes."

"It's a she?"

"I'd like to think so, yes," Elsa smiled.

Anna seemed to hesitate for a moment before asking her next question. "Is this why you asked for me to come back here?"

_What?_

"I- I didn't _ask_ for you to be here?" Elsa wracked her mind trying to remember having given any such indication to the rider she had sent for Hellmark. "According to Kai, the rider had relayed that you had wanted to come along, and he sent a letter to let you know that was alright...?"

"Rider? Kai came to Hellmark, and told my father it was 'very important' that I came along!" Anna looked as confused as Elsa felt, but realization soon started to settle across her mind, and she groaned loudly as she dropped her head in her hands.

"I see. Don't worry, Anna. It's just a... miscommunication between Kai and me."

_I really need to have a talk with Kai and Gerda both. I don't know what they're up to, but by Fenrir's Tail I'll find out..._

"It's not that I don't like being here!" Anna immediately piped, her voice sounding anxious. "I do! I really love being here. This place is awesome. You're awesome. Oh god, did I really just say that? _Again?_ Never mind, I just-"

"I'm glad you _did_ come back here, Anna," Elsa giggled, relieving the blushing redhead from her own ramblings before they got the better of her. Anna seemed to relax somewhat. Elsa was about to ask how she'd propose spending the rest of their afternoon when Anna suddenly sat up again, looking as if she just remembered something.

"Elsa, can I ask you one more thing?"

"Of course, Anna. Anything."

"It's about the books. And the dresses. I really like them, but I'm starting to feel like a spoiled child... And I was wondering why?"

"Why you feel like a spoiled child?"

"No! Why you... you know... gave me all those gifts."

Elsa thought about that for a while. _I'm not really sure myself. I figured they'd make you happy... And seeing you happy – or even knowing you're happy – makes me happy?_

"I like spoiling you," was the only thing her subconscious pushed out of her mouth. "Are you going to ask me to stop?"

Anna cocked her head to the side, staring up at the ceiling. "No..." followed by a silence. Elsa could feel she wasn't done talking though. "I only wanted to make sure you actually _wanted _it. I don't want you to feel like you need to... I don't know... buy my friendship."

"I know, Anna," Elsa replied quietly, annoyed as she felt a foreign emotion clog up her throat. "You're just such a wonderful person, it's pretty hard not to spoil you..."

"Well, in that case, you can read me another one of your stories," Anna smirked, laying back in her chair and folding her arms. Her grin grew even wider when Elsa got up with a faux sigh and walked over to one of the bookshelves.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Rapunzel,<em>

_I would apologise for my late reply to your letter, but you may consider it revenge for that time you had me wait half a year because you, and I quote, 'left the letter in your underwear drawer.'_

_Please stop enticing me with the prospect of sandy beaches, hot summer sun and handsome, half-undressed men. The entire scene hardly agrees with me. More on the latter part of that summation later, I suppose._

_Arendelle is faring well. I recently returned from my public campaign – you know, the one that had me visiting ev-e-ry city and village under my rule. People were happy, I was miserable, nobles complained and that was pretty much it. Financially we are also doing well, but thank you for offering donations. I'm certain Corona can find a suitable destination for the money. If not, I know of a certain long-haired, blonde princess that should have no trouble spending it all away._

_Maybe you should take a seat for this bit of information: I met a girl. Not that shocking in itself, really. But I'm certain you know what I mean. As in, a girl that I might like the way you like Eu- Pardon, Flynn (I still think it's ridiculous, by the way!). I haven't told anyone yet, but seeing the history of your love life, I think I can entrust you with this bit of information. You see, she's actually the daughter of a farmer. Her name is Anna, and I think you might meet her when you're coming over for the Yule Ball. (Assuming you haven't changed your mind...)_

_But now on to the actual reason for this letter. And you should probably show this particular part to your parents as well. Shadowacre, Blackmeadow, Greybell, Estershade, Fogmount and Shadehall have all united under a woman with abilities similar to my own... Well, we're not entirely certain what she can do exactly, but there is magic involved, which makes us similar, right? Anyway, they are raising armies. Yes, plural. Me and Hans are a little worried, but we'll discuss the matter further when we meet face to face. I just thought Corona might want to know what was going on._

_Say 'hi' to Pascal for me, provided you haven't lost him yet._

_-Love Elsa_

Rapunzel immediately made her way to her father's study, folding the letter so that only the last part was visible. While walking through the corridors, however, her mind was somewhere else entirely.

_The sorceress up north can wait. Elsa found herself someone! Oh, I must make sure to hear all the juicy gossip when I get to Arendelle. It's so unlike Elsa... A commoner AND a girl... And here I was thinking MY choices were unusual..._

Rapunzel had to hide her glee when she knocked on her father's door. After all, it would not do for her to make the impression she was happy about a sorceress waging war against Arendelle – and she wasn't about to let him read the first part of the letter.

* * *

><p>Anna was panicking big time. It was her first ball! Sure, Elsa had told her not to expect too much of it when they had talked in the library yesterday. It would only be the representatives and their families. The only 'high nobility' that would be attending were Queen Elsa and Prince Hans. But still, it was her first ball!<p>

Queen Elsa had graciously provided three gorgeous dresses to choose from. They were all rather simple, yet remarkably elegant. Gerda had insisted on trying them all on – something Anna wasn't going to object to, of course – and Anna eventually settled on a simple grey gown, with a single strap running over her left shoulder. It was decorated with little shiny stones, which reminded her of the first snowflakes of the year.

The party was being held in one of the smaller ballrooms, logical with only around 200 people attending, but Anna still marvelled at the decorations displayed in the hall-like room. The ceiling was decorated with a large chandelier. Both sides of the ballroom were decorated with large trees made out of ice, their branches stretching out across the ceiling.

_I am so going to touch those_, Anna immediately thought as she walked in on her father's arm. _Although I probably shouldn't..._

Her father was immediately greeted by several men of middle age, their wives wrapped on their arms. Anna's attention, however, was split between watching Elsa in her brilliant gown, and checking out the chocolate pastries. Anna was quick to excuse herself and munch on the chocolate.

She had only just devoured her second piece of chocolate when she was approached by a man, maybe ten years older than she was. He smelled horribly, and his suit was clearly a few sizes too small – the buttons were under immense pressure, and there were creases in his clothing in places Anna was fairly certain they weren't supposed to be.

"So, ma'am, tell muh whut a prutty gurl loik yu sh du-iin hur?"

"Um, I'm sorry, what was that?"

He took a step closer to her. Anna had never cared much for personal space, but this was getting a little icky. "Oi wush jus wundrin if yu'd loik tu spend sum toim wimme."

If Anna really strained her ears, she could make out what this giant lump of a man was saying, but she felt like maybe that was a bad thing in itself. She never even knew there were people in Arendelle that talked like _that._

"Cus, yu know, yu's a rully noice lukin gurl an all."

"I'm terribly sorry, good sir," a voice came from behind Anna, accompanied by a hand on her arm. "But this lovely lass is unavailable."

Anna turned her head to find Prince Hans standing beside her, his most charming smile in place around his lips, yet his eyes betraying something different. Something one wouldn't want to get too familiar with. The lumpy man curtsied and trailed off immediately.

"I'm _not_ taken," Anna huffed, momentarily forgetting Hans' status. "Your Highness!" she added hastily.

Hans merely smiled and waved it away. "I know that. But he doesn't have to, right?" His eyes had turned friendly again as he winked at her. "Mind me keeping you some company? I'm afraid Elsa is going to be greeting the nobles for a while longer..."

Anna helped herself to a few more pieces of chocolate before walking around the room with Prince Hans. "See that lady over there? That Lady Owain, the wife of Lord Owain. Last year, she attended the Spring Celebrations in this very ballroom. Apparently, her maid hadn't been able to secure her bodice properly, and it let loose halfway during a dance."

Anna almost spat out her chocolate with laughter. Hans had already moved on to someone else. "That's Lord Pensing. He has a tendency to drink more than he can handle. He stumbled into the fountain during one of my birthday celebrations, I think it was three years ago? Didn't learn anything from it, and he still drinks like a Viking. And that, over there, the one that looks like a piglet in a dress? That's Lady Partik – she is the absolute pinnacle of vanity. She always carries two mirrors on her. Wants to make sure she can 'always ensure the integrity of her appearance.' When Elsa and I were little, we used to make a game out of stealing her mirrors off of her, then placing them back without her noticing it. I can assure you, the King was not amused when he found out..."

Anna could hardly stifle her laughter now. Hans had so many interesting tales to tell about anyone in the room – especially making fun of the nobles. Anna was actually having a good time, despite her realisation that there really weren't any special or important people around, and most of them were too old or stuffy to be of interest. His last tale, concerning Elsa's youth, however, gave her an appetite for more. Hans seemed to sense her interest, because he frowned slightly before continuing.

"When Elsa and I were eleven and ten – you see, I'm actually one year younger – we thought it would be... _fun_ to hide ourselves in the suits of armour near the main entrance. Every time a servant would walk by, we would spook them by suddenly jumping towards them. That was all very nice and well, until we actually scared a visiting Queen from Freybank to into Valhalla. All suits of armour were removed from the palace until we were old and 'wise' enough not to have such fun again. Oh, and I _must_ tell you about the time Elsa led me into the forest. A few days before, I had stolen the last cookie of the platter, despite having promised that she could have it – I'm sure you know how persuasive Elsa can be – and she acted like everything was forgiven immediately. I should have known better, of course. Elsa can hold a grudge like no other if she so desires. Anyway, a few days later, she led me into the forest under the pretence of gathering flowers to surprise her mother. It seemed like a good idea... That is, until I was in the middle of the forest and Elsa was suddenly nowhere to be found. She had me wander around for half an hour, before showing up again. She only showed me out of the forest after I promised her she could have _all_ the cookies for the next month..."

Anna laughed heartily at Hans' storytelling. She occasionally glanced over to the Queen, who was still talking to nobles on the other side of the ballroom. After a while, they stopped near a bowl of punch. Anna noticed the trunk of the icy tree as soon as they came to a halt. While Hans was pouring two glasses, she looked over at the Queen and pressed a single finger against her creation.

The result was immediate. She recognized the feelings and was able to hide her reaction to them. However, when Elsa's head immediately whipped around to meet her eyes, despite having been in the middle of a sentence, Anna was suddenly overwhelmed by the sensation of her gaze on her. Before long, however, the Queen recovered and turned her attention back to a confused nobleman.

"That was a pretty mean thing to do," Hans smiled at her. "I think I like you, Ms. Oaken..."

Anna, suddenly bashful, turned her gaze to the floor. Hans merely chuckled. "Do not worry, I know about the _thing_ with the _stuff_ between you two..."

Anna looked up at him, his eyes searching her own, but not in a threatening or unfriendly way. "How?"

"I... make it my business to know things. But that is hardly an adequate answer, so let me provide a new one. Elsa told me."

"Oh. I see..."

Hans' smile widened at something she couldn't see. "Now, Ms. Oaken... I think you and I both know I was only here to entertain you until Elsa became available. I think that time is now. You should... go and talk to her."

And just like that he had disappeared behind a group of chatting men, who most certainly weren't nobles. Anna looked over and saw that Elsa had indeed finished her business with the nobles, now standing out and looking at the crowd with an empty expression. Glass of punch in hand, she zigzagged between the people to make her way to the most interesting person in the room.

And then there was suddenly someone in front of her. There was too little distance between them for Anna to be able to stop in time, and she crashed into him with force. She landed on her behind, rather unladylike she imagined. When she'd gotten back to her feet, muttering an apology, she noticed the man she had bumped into. Absolute horror set over her as she looked at Lord Orthal, a large pinkish stain on the front of his uniform.

"You!? How dare you, you little imp! First you embarrass me in front of _everyone_, then you coax the Queen into firing me with your lies and subterfuge, and now you embarrass me in my new position _AGAIN?!_"

The words didn't really sting. The hard slap she received across her cheek all the more. The force of Orthal's hand impacting with her cheek caused her head to swing around. Tears welled up in her eyes as the biting sensation set in.

Through her tears, she noticed a large shadow settling over her and Orthal. She'd recognise that shadow anywhere, and Orthal looked very scared as he looked up at Asger Oaken – easily the largest man at the ball. Then all heads turned away from them, as people shuffled aside. Orthal followed their gaze, and the look of fear on his face disappeared, only to be replaced with a look that Anna could not really classify – the best contenders being terror and panic. Anna, a little slow on the uptake, turned her head too, wiping the tears from her eyes, and immediate understood.

There, only a few feet away from them, stood the Queen. Not Queen Elsa, though. Not the regular Queen. No, this one was deserving of the title 'Ice Queen.' She looked positively frightening, glowering with a fire burning behind her eyes. If _this_ Elsa would ever appear in any of Anna's dreams, she'd classify it as a nightmare. No, a night terror even. Before she had even opened her mouth, everyone had cowered back several steps, including the bear that was her father.

"Eberhard Orthal," she spoke, her voice cold as ice and sharp as steel, "you have dishonoured yourself, your station and your family. I, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, First of my Name, hereby strip you of your titles as Baron of Valaher, Mayor of Glamveil and Chairman of the Council of Nobles. I also revoke your position on the aforementioned council. I strip you of your lands and possessions provided by the Crown. Guards, take him _out_ of my city, and make sure he _does not_ return."

Orthal had gotten paler and paler with every word passing the Queen's lips, and he had fallen to his knees when the guards pulled him up and escorted him away from the festivities. Elsa had already shifted her attentions, though, and her intimidating regal pose had fallen off of her as if it had never existed. She walked over to Anna and wrapped and arm around her shoulder, escorting her to the front of the ballroom as people slowly started talking to each other again. Anna was vaguely aware of her father and Prince Hans following them.

"Are you alright, Anna?" Elsa asked, her voice laced with concern.

Anna merely nodded mutely, still working to recover from the events that had just transpired. She felt Elsa's hand softly brushing her cheek and faintly noticed how Prince Hans manoeuvred himself between them and the people. Before she could realise the oddity of the situation, she saw Elsa's hand light up a soft blue, and she immediately felt the chill calming the stinging on her cheek. Within seconds, the pain had receded to the back of her mind, making room for shyness as she realised the Queen was practically cupping her face.

Anna couldn't hold back a giggle as she watched the look of surprise on her father's face. Obviously, he hadn't known about the Queen's special powers either. After making sure she was alright, he walked off with Prince Hans, and Anna could swear she overheard the words _ice, important_ and _secret_ in close succession.

"So, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I am now..." Anna gave Elsa a brave smile as she took her arm and started walking around. "Don't you think you were maybe... a little harsh on him?"

Elsa looked at her incredulously. "He _slapped_ you, Anna. He slapped _you._"

The last part was a little surprising, especially considering the intonation, but Anna's mind involuntarily glanced over it, something else coming to mind as they walked past a woman Hans had told her about. "Is it true she always carries two mirrors?" Anna asked promptly, surprising herself with the sudden change of subject.

"Yes, it is. Who told you so?"

"Well, Hans was telling me childhood stories about the two of you, and-"

"Hans what now?" Elsa asked with wide eyes.

"He told me how you two used to take her mirrors and place them back? Don't worry! I won't tell anyone, like ever! And I think it's totally cute! Not in a weird way, of course..."

Elsa smiled, relaxing visible. "Well, to be completely honest, she isn't actually carrying any mirrors on her now," she smirked, revealing a small make-up mirror in the palm of her hand. Anna's eyes grew wide, and she followed Elsa's gaze. Near one of the ice trees she saw Prince Hans, still talking to her father, and subtly waving a little mirror behind his back.

"Mother and Father never knew, but Hans and I never really gave up on one of our favourite pastimes. We just improved..." Anna looked on with growing amazement as Hans and her father walked past the woman in the horrid pink dress, and even then she hardly noticed Hans slipping something back between the folds of the dress.

She couldn't help it. It was just so surreal. The Queen of Arendelle, and a Prince of the Southern Isles, picking the pockets of a visiting noble for sport. Not even the greatest mind could have come up with such a bold tale, surely? As she and Elsa sauntered back, and Elsa gently placed the mirror back on the poor woman's person, Anna had to fight the laughter bubbling in her stomach.

"I _do_ hope you were serious about not telling anyone," Elsa muttered, cocking an eyebrow. Anna nodded with a heavy swallow, after which Elsa seemed to relax again. "Now tell me, what other embarrassing stories did Hans tell you?"

"Only about scaring people with suits of armour, and you leaving him alone in the forest because of a cookie slight..."

Elsa giggled behind her hand. "Well, then I think the damage he did might be... containable."

"So, you did worse then?"

"Much..."

"Tell me!"

"I'd rather not..."

Anna didn't relent, staring up at Elsa with watery eyes – making sure not to blink – and a slight pout.

"Hans and I once took great steps to change the time on all the clocks in the castle. It took us all night to make sure we got them all... It would have been fun, had it not caused my parents to miss a meeting with the King and Queen of a neighbouring kingdom. I believe they boycotted Arendelle for trade for three years before they were over it... Hans and I got away, luckily... "

Anna giggled. She couldn't help but thinking that young Elsa was both adorable and mischievous – which might have made her even more adorable.

_Then again, adult Elsa is pretty adorable too_.

Elsa looked at her curiously, and for a moment, Anna was afraid she had thought out loud again. Luckily, Elsa merely shook her head slightly before walking on. After a while, they were joined at the chocolate table by Kai and Prince Hans.

"So, Elsa," Hans beamed. "How are you finding today's ball?"

"Rather dreary, safe for the mirror game and my current company," Elsa replied casually. Anna blushed feverishly.

"Well, sister, a dance usually cheers the evening up, no?"

"By Odin, Hans, I'm _not_ your sister... I don't very much feel like dancing with you now, Hans. And you _know_ I don't want to dance with anyone else here."

Hans' smile grew even wider. "Oh, I think there's _someone_ here you'd like to dance with, surely?"

Elsa hesitated. Anna had no idea what was going on, but she _did_ know Elsa hesitated.

Kai nodded enthusiastically. "And, Your Majesty, think of how sad Ms. Oaken must be. She practiced her steps with Gerda for most of the afternoon, hoping to be asked to dance by some royal..."

Well, that was true. Anna _had_ been practicing her dancing steps with the maid all morning, having had little else to do that day. Elsa had been in meetings all day long, preparing or the ball. She had hoped there would be some dashing gentleman asking for her hand in a dance.

_No such luck, I suppose._

Elsa sighed deeply. "Well then, Hans. You better ask Ms. Oaken for a dance, right?"

Hans raised his hands in mock defence. "Oh, no, no, sister. You're the highest nobility here. I'm certain she'd prefer to dance with you. Besides, you know I'm terrible on the floor."

"Firstly, I'm _not_ your sister. Secondly, you had the same dancing tutor I did, and you were remarkably good at it. Thirdly, you know full well that it would be ridiculous for me to go out there dancing with a _woman_."

Kai frowned, but Anna couldn't help thinking it looked a little off. "Well, I don't see why, Your Majesty. You have done it before... Remember? With Princess Rapunzel."

"That was different," Elsa immediately fired back. "There were _other _women dancing with each other already."

Hans' face lit up, and Kai looked rather pleased. Elsa groaned loudly. "Odin's beard, I took this conversation exactly where you wanted it to go, didn't I?"

Hans curtsied to Kai. "_Monsieur_, may I have this dance?"

Kai curtsied back, taking the offered hand and walking to the floor. Before they were out of earshot, Hans looked over his shoulder. "Please Elsa, don't let me be the only embarrassing figure tonight."

As the band started a new song, Kai and Hans took their positions and danced off across the floor, Kai taking the role as the lady in the dance, remarkably well, Anna thought. People were looking at them, pointing and laughing silently. Some of the nobles looked amused. Others merely annoyed or even irked. Elsa sighed deeply. _Very _deeply.

And then she turned to Anna, muttering: "I guess I really _can't_ have him be the only one embarrassing himself. Anna, would you care to dance?"

"Uh, yes?"

Anna took Elsa's hand, her grasp quite firm, as they walked to the dance floor. Kai and Hans were now the only couple waltzing around, and the murmur around them grew fiercer as people saw the Queen step onto the floor with a woman on her hand. Anna felt Elsa's arm settle around her, holding her firmly, and before she knew it they were dancing.

Anna had expected it to be uncomfortable. She expected the dresses to get in the way. She expected the reaction of the people to ruin the experience. She expected... anything but this.

Elsa led her expertly, swirling her across the floor as if it were nothing. And Anna completely forgot everything that was not either her feet, or Elsa. Eventually, once she had the rhythm down and was certain she was doing the steps right, she even forgot her feet. Her mind was completely zoned in on Elsa. This was much better than any dashing gentleman could have been...

She didn't notice her father looking at her with a happy and proud look. She didn't notice the other pairs – some traditional, some same-sex – coming to the floor. She didn't notice the seconds turning into minutes, and she didn't notice the music shifting from one piece to another. And judging by the look on Elsa's face, neither did she...


	6. Chapter 6

Elsa took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. Immediately after, another deep intake of breath followed, with an equally deep exhale following after that. _Here goes nothing_, she though, willing her most stern expression onto her face without looking hostile.

In front of her, on the other side of the table, Kai, Gerda and Hans sat. Kai and Gerda both looked slightly apprehensive, but Hans had a smug look on his face, leaning back in his chair casually, arms folded over his chest.

"I'm not a fool," Elsa started, her voice calm and calculated. She liked to call it her Queenly voice, and it had served her well during many meetings. "And neither are you. I know you've been scheming. Some of the stories you've told me don't quite measure up with the truth. And all of these little schemes involve me and Ms. Oaken in one way or another."

She paused, giving the trio in front of her a warning look. "And you're going to stop this scheming. Not only is it an act of treason to lie to your Queen, it's also an affront to your duties. It simply won't do for me to be in the dark on _anything_, most of all my own personal life. I know I am at times reserved and private – but don't mistake it for loneliness. I'm capable of handling my own personal connections. And yes, I do enjoy my time with Anna, but the decision to spend time together should be _ours_ to make, not yours. Have I made myself clear?"

Kai and Gerda remained motionless, but Hans leaned forward onto the table, his brow furrowing and the expression on his face understanding. "Of course, Elsa. I don't really know what we were thinking. It was... uncouth of us to meddle in your affairs the way we did."

Elsa nodded. "Good. Then I can assume it won't happen again?"

"Not at all."

Elsa nodded while getting to her feet. "Good. Then you're dismissed. Kai, bring the paperwork for the Yule celebrations to my study, please. And ensure that the quarters for the DunBroch and Corona parties are prepared – they should arrive in the next few days."

Everyone nodded as they bustled out of the room. Elsa started making her way to her study, but stopped near a small courtyard. For a few minutes, she simply stood watching Anna and some of the younger servants play around with Albert – the goat Merida had sent her. They seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely, and for those few minutes, Elsa regretted being a Queen and not being able to join them in chasing the goat around.

In her study, she found the documents she had requested from Kai, and she started pouring over them, occasionally making alterations or placing a signature. The Yule celebrations were going to be expensive, but nothing they couldn't afford. After all, it was Yule, and there would be many, many nobles to impress. The royal families of DunBroch and Corona being the most important. Then again, she had good relations with both kingdoms, so they would be happy even with a smaller celebration. But Weselton, the Emerald Isles, Foxcliff, Goldlake, Adylla, Galinnon, and Mardored would probably be expecting more. And then there were the Southern Isles. Hans' family was nothing like him – they had to potential to be such a massive pain in her royal butt...

Time passed quickly as she approved of menus, decorations, competitions, lodgings, caterers, guest lists and artists. Before she knew it, lunchtime had passed and she was distracted by a subtle knocking on her door. Before she could utter a word, Hans opened the door and stepped in delicately.

"Yes?"

"I wanted to apologise again. And I was hoping I could take your mind of business for a while and invite you to a little ride outside the city?"

Elsa looked out of the window. The past few days had been cold and wet, the usual weather when a northern wind blew in from the mountains. Today, however, it was sunny, dry, and relatively warm – the result of an unusual southern breeze blowing. Still, she hesitated. Today would be the last day Anna and her father were in the capital. She hadn't seen much of the energetic redhead since the ball two days ago. With her busy schedule, Elsa had only been able to make time for her after their dinner – time they had spent in the library, mostly.

Anna had really enjoyed being read to. And Elsa enjoyed both reading and being around Anna, which made reading to Anna an especially likable pastime. Anna's fascination with the many stories Elsa's library contained amused her greatly. So far, she had neglected the mention of the four other libraries spread throughout her castle...

"So, are you coming?" Hans spurred her on.

"Right. Uhm, sure?"

"No worries, Elsa. I'm certain we'll be back in time for you to spend your afternoon in the library with Ms. Oaken before she and her father leave for Hellmark tomorrow."

Hans grinned a charming, and slightly disturbing, smile. It showed something in his eyes that Elsa could not quite name. She had seen that look before – and it usually resulted in trouble – but she had learned to just go with it. If it was a wild horse race he wanted, she would be happy to oblige. Not like they hadn't done it before, after all...

* * *

><p>The horse riding had been a good idea. The temperature was pleasant, and the air was silent around the two of them as their mounds trodded down a sandy path between two open fields. She had proposed riding through the forest, maybe even going to the river, but Hans had been afraid that his fancy suit – who wore a fancy suit on a horse ride? – would be ruined by snow falling from the trees.<p>

"So, DunBroch and Corona will be arriving tomorrow or the day after?" Hans started the conversation again, after a lull having lasted for some fifteen minutes.

"The harbourmaster seems to think so, based on the wind and... stuff."

"Looking forward to seeing Rapunzel and Merida?"

"Yes, very much in fact. Are _you_ looking forward to seeing your family again?"

"No."

"Have you told your father about our... situation yet?"

"No. I thought it better not to confide such information to letters. I'll discuss it somewhere during the Yule celebrations. Should put a damper on his mood – which will be good for my mood," Hans muttered darkly.

Elsa chuckled. "Such family spirit. At least not all of your brothers will be coming, right?"

"No, only the two oldest, along with my father and mother. Bad enough as it is, though..."

Suddenly, Hans seemed to perk up. "Oh _my!_ Would you _look_ at _that? _Gerda! Ms. Oaken! What a _coincidence _we come across you here!"

Elsa whipped her head around in the direction Hans was looking. And, indeed, there were Gerda and Anna, both astride one of the stable horses. _Coincidence... uh-huh. Sure. That seems bloody likely. _As they neared the duo, Elsa glanced over their faces. Gerda looked somewhat apprehensive, probably because she was defying a direct order from her Queen. Anna looked... elated, ecstatic, overjoyed and ... something Elsa couldn't name.

When they reached them, Hans looked over at her. "Elsa, dear. I would never be so rude as to impose on your own spare time, or be so... uncouth as to interfere with your personal life – but maybe it is an idea to finish our ride together, the four of us? The decision is, of course, _entirely_ yours – we could just abandon – I mean _leave _– these lovely ladies here and continue on our own..."

Elsa sighed deeply. Gerda smiled gently, but Anna actually looked worried now. Elsa smiled her warmest smile at her – effortlessly, oddly enough – before answering. "No, of course we will do no such thing. It should be _fun_ to ride together. And then, when we get home, Hans _dear_, you and I need to have a _serious_ talk."

Elsa glared at him, but the glint in his eyes betrayed that he was not impressed. "And I _may_ just have to fire some of my servants..." she muttered under her breath. Kai and Gerda had practically raised her, so she wouldn't ever make true on that threat. They both knew it too.

Hans immediately turned his horse to ride next to Gerda. "Gerda, lovely Gerda. I've been meaning to ask you the recipe for that delicious cake you made a few days ago. You know, the one with the cherries?"

Hans and Elsa knew that was one of the ways to get Gerda talking and make sure that she would _keep _talking for as long as she was allowed. Elsa was very aware of Hans' plan – forcing her to talk to Anna. Not like that was really a bad thing – but they had set her up _again_. And she didn't even feel angry.

Anna looked a little downcast, keeping her eyes on the trail as they rode. "Something the matter, Anna?"

"No..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes..."

Elsa shook her head slowly. "Anna. Please... tell me what's wrong?"

Anna sighed too. "If you didn't want to spend time with me, you could have just told me..."

_What?_ "Anna, what on Earth gave you the idea I didn't want to spend time with you?"

"Well, you did. Just now. You didn't exactly look happy to see us... See me..."

"Ah, I see. You're quite mistaken, Anna. I am actually very happy to spend more time with you – especially considering you're leaving tomorrow. It's just that... Well... Hans and my servants have been plotting behind my back, trying to get me to spend more time with you out of a misplaced idea on my loneliness. That's what I'm not happy about. But that has absolutely _nothing_ to do with you. I assure you, spending time with you is something I enjoy very much."

"Really?"

"Really, Anna. I don't have many friends – especially in my own kingdom, but you are definitely one of them."

That seemed to cheer Anna up plenty. "Uhm, are we still on for the reading date later today? And when I say date, I don't mean date as in date. More like a date as a meeting between two people who really like each other and – Never mind."

Elsa laughed softly. "Yes, Anna. We're still on for our reading date. I should probably be focusing on my paperwork, but I'll do that tomorrow and spend my evening with you. I already have a book in mind, if that's alright with you?"

"Oh yes! You know your library best!"

"Well, I'll need to go get it from a different library, but yes..."

"Different library?"

"Yes, there's one in the west tower, one in the basement, the one on the third floor we've been visiting regularly..."

"You have more than one library?" Anna asked with wide eyes.

"Well, yes, of course. I live in a _castle_, Anna. What did you expect? I also have three ballrooms, four kitchens, over thirty bedrooms and bathrooms... But now I'm just bragging, which is very impolite. Apologies."

"I think it's awesome, Elsa. I'd love to live in a castle..."

_Well, there's an idea_, Elsa thought. She immediately forced the thought from her mind. _She's a commoner and a woman, Elsa. _

"So," she started, very intent on changing the subject. "What did you think of the ball? We didn't really have a talk about that..."

"I _really_ enjoyed myself. Well, except for the Orthal business, of course. But that wasn't your fault! You were totally awesome. And who knew you could dance like that! I mean, whew, that was intense. And I had a total blast!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Elsa smiled. "I was afraid you might actually be bored."

"Well, not thanks to you and Hans! I mean, yeah, the rest was pretty boring... Not exactly how I imagined. You know, Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses..."

"I warned you about that. The representatives ball was nothing like the annual Yule celebrations."

"I wish I could be there, but it's a 'nobility only' thing, right?"

"I'm afraid so, yes..."

Elsa had actually considered inviting Anna, but that would be... weird. People would start asking questions, and not everyone would be so open-minded about their Queen hanging out with a farmer's daughter.

A little ahead of them, Hans and Gerda were dismounting, tying their horses to a low branch of a large oak. Noticing Elsa's questioning look, Hans smiled broadly. "Gerda brought lunch! We thought a picnic might be lovely?"

"You planned this whole thing, did you not?"

"Well, yes," Hans admitted.

"You promised not to..."

"No, I didn't. You asked whether you could assume we wouldn't do anything anymore, and I answered with 'absolutely not,' as in 'you can absolutely not assume that.'

Elsa sighed as she helped Anna dismount. "What will I do with you, Hans?"

"Love me dearly?"

Elsa released an exasperated grunt, but dropped herself down on the plaid anyway. Gerda was already pouring tea for four and passing around sandwiches.

"Well, Ms. Oaken, would you like more childhood stories?"

Anna, of course, nodded vigorously while Elsa released another grunt.

Gerda piped up immediately. "Oh, oh! Tell her about the pony!"

Hans started chuckling. "Right. Yes, that would be a good one to start with. When Elsa was six, she got a pony as a birthday gift from some foreign nobles, possibly Corona, I'm not sure. She was completely smitten with the animal. Come nightfall, she had taken her pillow and blanket to the stables, set on sleeping there with her 'new best friend.' Her father ordered her to her room, and after some arguing she relented. Somehow, she managed to take the pony with her – led it all the way to her room through the castle without anyone noticing... Gerda found it there the following morning. She was so shocked she couldn't work for the rest of the day."

"Father was _so_ angry with me that time," Elsa remembered out loud. "He actually took the pony away from me..."

Gerda smiled wistfully. "I also remember a particular sleep-over with two enigmatic princesses..."

Elsa smiled. "Yes. Merida and Rapunzel were my best friends – still are, really – but we weren't together very often, Merida being the princess of DunBroch and Rapunzel of Corona. I think we were eleven when they all visited for my birthday. They would only be in Arendelle for two days – much to our chagrin. We... We decided to run away together, in the middle of the night..."

Hans smiled as he leaned back. "Yes, I remember that... Total panic in Arendelle. The girls actually managed to stay missing for three whole days."

"Yeah. Merida had brought her bow," Elsa continued. "She hunted for food. Rapunzel is a genius in a kitchen. She prepared the meat and gathered herbs... I made us a little hut of ice and snow, and we were happy. It was sort of like camping out in the woods – except for the knowledge that our parents would be looking for us."

"What happened when they found you?" Anna asked breathlessly.

"Well, at first they were overjoyed, of course... And then all hell broke loose. I think that was the worst scolding I've had my entire life. House arrest for a year, no Summer Harvest, Yule, All Hallow's Eve, or any other celebrations. Absolutely no contact with Rapunzel and Merida. No contact with anyone, other than my personal servants and my parents, really..."

"Gee, can you blame them, sis?" Hans asked with an amused grin.

Elsa cocked a single eyebrow. "Well then, let's talk about that time you 'repainted' all the paintings in the royal gallery, adding moustaches and beards to the women and applying 'make-up' to the men. You cost my parents several thousand gold pieces, remember?"

Hans laughed boisterously. "Oh my! You and I remember that particular event very differently. If I recall correctly, you were there with me the whole time."

"Only to talk you out of it," Elsa pouted. Hans grinned wickedly. "Yes, during the first three paintings, maybe. After that you were... all too happy... to suggest alterations to some of the portraits..."

Elsa blushed as she muttered an answer. "Fair enough..."

By that time, Anna was laying on her back, laughing maniacally and clutching her sides. Hans and Gerda, however, were far from done. Elsa leaned back a little, enjoying Anna's mirth.

"Elsa used to be such a bother," Hans continued. "She'd slip into meeting rooms full of officials – somehow remaining unnoticed, and suddenly make it snow. _Heavily_. Or she'd create these little ice cubes and slide them down people's backs when they weren't paying attention. There were a few weeks during which city officials were so apprehensive, they wore woollen cloaks and winter equipment, even during their meetings with the king."

Anna started laughing even harder, tears now rolling down her cheeks. Elsa sent a blast of cold air towards Hans, his eyebrows and hair suddenly turning white with frost. "That's enough, _Your Highness_," she scowled playfully.

Gerda nodded in understanding as Anna recovered from her laughing spell. She still clutched at her side, occasionally snickering softly. The entire sight was just too adorable for Elsa. She was starting to regret her decision to be a responsible Queen and not pursue Anna romantically. She knew she wanted to. But she couldn't.

The older woman cleared her throat. "So, Ms. Oaken, you are returning to Hellmark tomorrow? Is that not a little unpractical?"

Anna merely looked up at her, evidently confused.

"Well, you would have to return next week again, right?"

Elsa immediately cut in. "Anna won't be at the Yule celebrations."

Gerda and Hans looked at one another in surprise – clearly they had not expected that. For a moment, Elsa felt good about ruining their little plans, but then she noticed the downcast look on Anna's face, and remember the aim of their meddling. _Honestly? I haven't felt this bad in years..._

"Unfortunately, the Yule celebrations are only attended by higher nobility. Much as I like Ms. Oaken, having her there would cause confusion and discontent amongst the attending parties. It simply wouldn't do."

She had meant to explain herself, but Anna only grew sadder and sadder. Hans straightened his back.

"Elsa, surely, as the Queen you could-"

"Can we go home?" Anna suddenly interrupted. "I'm... getting cold."

Gerda, ever prepared for emergencies, produced a blanket from one of her saddle bags. "Here you go, dear."

"No, thanks. I'd just like to go back now, if that's alright."

The ride back to the castle was mostly spent in silence, Anna riding next to Gerda with her head bent downwards, and Hans occasionally sending Elsa not-so-subtle accusing looks. She wasn't happy about the situation, but there was nothing she could do about it. _They have to understand that, right? Right?_

* * *

><p>A few hours later, she found herself sitting in the library, one of her favourite books ready on the table in front of her. She had brought a large supply of hot chocolate, and lit the hearth to drive the chill out of the large dusty room. She was intent on making Anna's last night at the castle as enjoyable as possible.<p>

There was a knocking at the door, and Elsa's stomach immediately lunged. That wasn't Anna's knock. Anna had a soft, timid and melodic knock. This was a simple servant's knocking. Surely enough, a young man stepped inside after her call, handing her a small slip of paper.

_Your Majesty,_

_I would not want to keep you from your royal duties, and have thus decided I won't be attending this evening's reading appointment in the library. You let slip you had paperwork to take care of, and I understand that matters of state are of greater importance than a common farming girl._

_Ms. Oaken_

Elsa stared at the letter. It was impersonal. It was distant. It was cold. Three words she'd never associated with Anna before. She could almost feel the effort it must have taken her to write a note like this one. After several minutes, she noticed the servant still standing next to her, waiting for her response. When she got ready to stand, he suddenly spoke.

"Ms. Oaken has asked me to convey that she had turned in for today."

The implication was clear. _Don't come and see me. I don't want to see you_. Elsa sighed as she dismissed the servant. She took the book and the hot chocolate, threw some of the sand from the bag besides the hearth onto the fire, and left the library. She drained the hot chocolate down the sink in the first bathroom she encountered, leaving the cups out in the hallway for a servant to find. On her way to her own chambers, she took a detour to pass by Anna's chambers. There was no light shining underneath the door, and she couldn't hear anything inside. She left the book next to the door, and walked away. Sadness and anxiety the dominant feelings in her heart.

* * *

><p>She sat on her throne, slightly slumped. Boredom had overtaken her this morning, and she had no idea how to get rid of it. A single tress of her long, dark hair was wrapped around her finger, toying with it thoughtlessly. She was almost happy when the door to the throne room opened and a small group of guards walked in. Almost.<p>

They walked closer as she made sure to correct her posture. She also willed some dark mist into existence around her and her throne. She had been told it made her look _mysterious_. Not that these men cared about that anymore.

"Milady," the eldest of the men started, falling to his knee. "Unfortunately, the assignment in Foxcliff was not as successful as we had hoped, and expected."

She got up slowly, the mist following every movement of her body. She felt the anger rising in her stomach. "You mean to tell me...?" Her words were accompanied by the black mist flowing backwards, taking the shape of two large, bat-like wings on her back, spreading from wall to wall.

The men looked at her, clearly frightened out of their wits. "We've got it, it's downstairs."

_Well, good._ The mist returned to its normal state, swirling around her feet and knees. "Then what's the problem?"

"We lost nearly thirty men, Milady."

_Oh._

"They gave their life for our cause and died with honour, I'm sure," she muttered disinterested. Thirty lives was a small price to pay. Still, it was more than she was used to losing on a single assignment. _Well, no matter_.

"Is it secure?"

"Yes, Milady."

"Good. I'll go and see it later. Dismissed."

The men got up and left. She was about to leave herself, when she heard a familiar footfall behind her. She willed her mist away entirely. _Not like it's going to do my any good now_.

"Milady?"

She turned around, facing the large man kneeling behind her. He looked up at her unabashedly, a clear look in his eyes. She didn't see that look very often when she was around. Only in him. Then again, he was the _only_ one immune to her mist...

"Yes, Gregor?"

"Word from Freybank. They've surrendered to us."

"Good. Anything else?"

"We sent out operatives to Corona, Arendelle, Weselton and the Southern Isles. We're still looking for a way into DunBroch and the other western kingdoms."

"Very well. Would you accompany me to the dungeons? I have some... business to attend to."

An understanding smile spread across Gregor's face. "With pleasure, Milady."

* * *

><p>Elsa was sitting in her study. She had been for hours. But she wasn't getting any work done. Her thoughts were with Anna, who had left earlier that morning. She had been ready to see her of at ten – the time Anna and her father had planned to leave. She had waited at the gates for half an hour, guards looking at her oddly. Only then had Kai come for her, telling her that, on Anna's insistence, they had left an hour earlier.<p>

_I messed up_, Elsa thought as she stared out of the window. _I totally, completely, absolutely screwed up. And there is nothing I can do about it because I'm just following these damned rules. Gah, rules. _

She had really wanted to invite Anna to the Yule celebrations. _Really_. But it would be unacceptable. People would wonder what a 'lowly commoner' was doing amongst royalty. It would be hard to explain, and awkward, and odd. People wouldn't understand...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the chiming of a bell. She focused her gaze on the fjord, immediately spotting the two ships slowly coming towards them. Without difficulty she crafted a spyglass with her powers. _DunBroch and Corona_. _Leave it to Rapunzel and Merida to arrive at the same time..._

She knew Kai would already be preparing for their arrival, so she could spare a little more time watching the ships pull into the docks. She smiled as she noticed both ships aiming for the same place at the pier. Her spyglass was good enough to notice a swirl of red on the DunBroch ship running towards the wheel. Suddenly, the ship steered in violently, nearly cutting the Corona ship off. She also saw a blonde figure reaching the Corona wheel, after which the ship suddenly pulled back and started drifting to another spot.

_That's Merida and Rapunzel alright..._

Elsa was still chuckling when she started making her way to the throne room to greet her friends and their family. When she got there, her face all stoic again, she found a large group of guards lines up against the walls and the walkway, banners with DunBroch and Corona colours hanging from the walls, Kai standing next to the door and Hans standing behind her throne. With a theatrical sigh, she lowered herself onto the royal seat.

There were a few minutes of organized chaos before everyone was in position. After two or three more minutes, a page entered via a side door, exchanging some words with Kai. The royal steward shot her a quick glance and took his position as Elsa nodded.

"Presenting the Royal Majesties King Fergus and Queen Elinor of DunBroch!"

The doors opened, and the King and Queen strode in. Elsa always thought they were an odd couple – the gigantic king with the much smaller queen, who, despite appearances, was definitely the boss of the two. After a few steps, Kai opened his mouth again. "Presenting the Royal Highness Princess Merida of DunBroch!"

Merida came striding in as if she owned the place, and soon joined her parents.

"Presenting the Royal Majesties King Corin and Queen Helga of Corona!"

Elsa smiled kindly as they walked into her throne room, more reserved than the DunBroch party had been. Elsa supposed that was just in their nature. Frankly, it was hard to be less reserved than King Fergus...

"Presenting the Royal Highnesses Princess Rapunzel and Prince-Consort Eugene of Corona!"

Rapunzel came in on the arm of her husband, who looked rather uncomfortable with his newfound position as royalty. Elsa couldn't remember the details, but he had been a commoner before her married Rapunzel.

Both the DunBroch and Corona party stood before the dai on which her throne was situated, and they all bowed their heads to her in respect. She got up and spread her arms.

"Welcome to Arendelle, friends and family. We are delighted to host you during our Yule celebrations. Please know that we will provide whatever you desire. Chambers have been prepared for you, your guards and your servants."

Queen Elinor was the first to respond. "Thank you, your Majesty, for your kindness and hospitality. We are honoured to have been invited. My husband and I would like to retire for the time being – it has been a long journey." Rapunzel's parents nodded in agreement, as did Prince Eugene. But both princesses were vigorously shaking their heads behind their backs.

Elsa smiled. "Very well. My servants will show you your rooms."

The royal parties left the throne room again, Merida and Rapunzel both staying behind. "Everyone dismissed," she called when the Kings and Queens had left. She led Merida and Rapunzel away through a small door behind a curtain, ending up in a small office. Before the door had even closed, she was tackled in a massive bear hug, the entire scene decidedly not royal.

One they were all seated, Merida burst loose. "So lass, tell me this embarrassing story of yours! I'm up for a wee laugh," she bellowed. Elsa smiled fondly, while also furrowing her brow. Rapunzel cocked an eyebrow. "Is this what you told me about in your last letter?"

Elsa nodded. "Yes. I didn't want Merida to miss out on the chance to laugh at me." She turned her attention to the redhead. "And it's good to see you too, Merida. Do we really need to get down to business right away?"

Rapunzel shook her head, causing her hair to sway violently. "No, no. This isn't business. This is gossip. And I need to know the details too, so spill it blondie!"

"You're on to talk, _Blondie_," Elsa scowled. But, seeing the focused gazes of both her friends aimed at her, she inhaled deeply. "Fine. During my public campaign through the kingdom, we stayed in Hellmark, a small village up north... Unplanned stay-over, really. I had dinner at Oaken Farm, with Mr. Oaken, a bear of a man – larger than your father, Merida – and his two children. Kristoff, a typical farming boy who is somewhat uncomfortable around royalty, and... And Anna."

Rapunzel squealed. "Anna let me sleep in her bedroom, camping outside not to indispose me. And... in those few hours I knew her... I... Uhm... Well..."

"Yes, lass? Spill it already!"

"I might have fallen in love..."

Rapunzel hummed appreciatively, but Merida leant back in her chair, laughing so loud Elsa feared the entire castle could hear it. "ELSA! You fell in love?! With a common farming girl? Miss high and mighty, rules are rules, do everything by the book?! Fell in love with... Bwahaha!"

Elsa waited patiently, knowing her voice would not be able to carry over Merida's. After some minutes Merida became more quiet, and Elsa continued her story. "I met her again a few weeks later, six or seven I think? She was actually nearly assaulting one of my guards with my hairbrush, which I left behind as a gift... I helped her out with an obnoxious noble who wouldn't grant them a new lease for their farm... Had her and her brother stay at the castle, rather than a barn... And then her father became the Mayor of Hellmark, and I had her here again for a week. We've grown quite close. She also does something to my magic, but I'll explain that some other time."

"When will we meet her?" Rapunzel asked. "She'll be attending Yule, right?"

Elsa coughed, a lump suddenly in her throat. "Well, er... No. She won't. She left for Hellmark already."

"WHAT?" Merida yelled. "WHY?"

"I... uh... told her she couldn't attend the Yule celebrations."

Rapunzel tsked. "Why would you do that?"

"I'm the Queen of Arendelle. I can't just bring a farming girl to Yule."

Merida and Rapunzel looked at each other, immediately after which two devious grins spread across their faces. "Oh no," Elsa muttered. She knew what was going to happen.

Rapunzel got up, gathered something from a nearby cabinet and placed them on the desk. A feather, parchment, and an inkwell. Merida now stood behind her, placing her hands on her shoulders.

"You, see, lass... you've made a wee bit of a mistake here. But we're going to fix this."

"How?" Elsa gawked.

Rapunzel smiled. "You're going to court this Anna. During the Yule celebrations."

"I what now? Come again? Actually, no, don't. You two are mad. Always have been."

Merida forced the feather into her hand. "And you better believe it! Now start writing and invite her back here. We'll explain the rest later!"

"But the rules-"

"You're the Queen, lass. You make the rules."

Rapunzel smirked. "And today you break them too."

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, so I deliver to you one more chapter before the new year starts! I hope you enjoyed, it will be the last thing from my hand this year. Yule celebrations are up next (no worries, Anna will be there!) and it will span 7 days (most of it is written, but if you have suggestions, I could definitely use some!) Thanks for everyone's incredible support. You people make me feel so very very good all the time! :) Please be safe, and see y'all next time around!<br>**

**Also, I'm actually fairly peeved about this chapter. Not what I had in mind at all, but I really felt like I couldn't improve on it anymore... Apologies if you didn't like it... :(  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 7

Anna was brushing down her favourite horse with a heavy heart. She had been back in Hellmark for three days now, and slowly but surely, she had started to realise that she had made a grave mistake. She had enjoyed spending time with Elsa _so _much, and now she had ruined it. And for what? Her childish sense of importance!

True, Elsa made her feel important. In fact, Elsa made her feel like she was the _most_ important. And she had enjoyed that, basked in it even. And then, when reality had been pushed in her face and Anna was forced to acknowledge that there were more important people than her, and that life was in fact _not _a fairy tale, she had been sad, and angry, and frustrated. And worst of all? She had taken it out on Elsa.

And now she was back home, with no chance of reconciling with Elsa. Besides, she'd be too busy to even miss her, probably. _No, Elsa is not like that._ _But then again, Yule is the perfect occasion for her to find Prince Charming and get married and have a child and then another and another and grow old an happy and... Whoa, slow down there, me. It's just a silly party. I didn't want to go anyway. _

_Pfft, who am I trying to fool._

"Yoo hoo! Anna?"

Anna closed her eyes shut. Ever since they had returned to Hellmark, her father and Kristoff had been cheerful. Too much so. Probably to make up for Anna's less than stellar mood, but it only served to annoy her. Thus she had taken to avoiding them as much as possible. Her father's voice sounded distant but clear, which probably meant he was at the house.

Less than half a minute went by before Anna heard her brother's footsteps trudging outside. She slunk back into the shadows, remaining out of view for his prying eyes. After a while, she heard him stomping back to the house as well.

"YOO HOO ANNA! GET OVER HERE NOW OR NO FOOD TONIGHT, YA?"

_Oh boy, that can't be good_.

On her way to the house, she was frantically thinking up excuses, and she had seven of them prepared when she rounded the corner. They suddenly slipped her mind, being replaced by confusion on the scene in front of her. The entire street was filled with people. She recognized some of them as people from Hellmark, but most of them appeared to be Royal Guards. She even recognized a few insignias that weren't Arendelle's. At the door, near her father and brother, she noticed Kai, standing in wait with a man in an official costume standing behind him.

"Ah, Ms. Oaken," he smiled as she timidly walked up to them. "I have a letter from the Queen."

_A letter from the Queen?_

He handed her a scroll of parchment, sealed with a blue-wax seal featuring a snowflake. She broke the seal and slowly unrolled the scroll.

_Dearest Anna,_

_Before anything else, I need to offer my apologies. It was never my intention to make you feel unwanted or insignificant. That being said, I do understand how my actions might have done just that._

_While, according to regulations, only royalty and high nobility can attend the Yule celebrations, it was a mistake to send you away like I did. I had some (involuntary) council from friends, and it seems to have brought me back to my senses._

_I refused to invite you for all the wrong reasons. Rules and regulations are important, but only if they serve their purpose. Despite me wanting you to attend Yule, I pushed you away. Now I'd like to rectify that mistake:_

_Miss Anna Oaken, I, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, hereby invite you to attend the Yule celebrations at Arendelle castle as my honoured guest._

_Should you choose to accept the invitation, General Torvak will escort you in one of my royal carriages. Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to invite your entire family – just inviting you will already be a scandalous thing to do. Of course, I'd understand if you'd rather spent Yule in Hellmark, with your father and brother._

_I hope to see you again soon, Anna._

_Forever yours,_

_Elsa_

Anna swallowed a few times, and for some reason she felt tears welling up in her eyes. She looked at her father. He smiled and silently mouthed 'go!' to her. Behind him, Kristoff stood nodding fiercely, holding up his two thumbs.

She nodded to Kai, who seemed delighted. "Good. You won't need to take anything with you. Everything you might need will be provided for you. Just go and take a seat in the carriage, Miss."

Anna nodded, said her goodbyes to her family, and walked over to the carriage. Before she could get in, the official-looking man stopped her. "Miss? I'm General Torvak. I've been tasked with keeping you safe on your journey to Arendelle Castle. Unfortunately, highwaymen occasionally attack the royal carriages, hoping for good loot, or possibly a ransom target. Nothing to worry about, as you can see I have plenty of men. The Queen insisted on that. Just try and keep the curtains closed. This is Commander Einhard, from the Corona military. He will be joining you. Please follow his every command in the event of an attack or ambush."

Anna nodded again, taking her seat in the carriage. A servant immediately offered her a glass of cool water. The journey was a pleasant one; there was food and drink, provided by the servant, and the Coronan soldier told her stories of his homeland – in turn listening to her stories about Hellmark with amusement.

"So," Anna asked after a few hours. "Why's a Corona commander babysitting me?"

The man laughed. "I'm Princess Rapunzel's personal guard, and she asked me to accompany you. With all the Yule Celebrations being prepared, Queen Elsa could not spare most of her own men."

"Princess Rapunzel sent you?"

"Yes, Miss Oaken. You must be pretty important. From what I can tell, General Torvak is a legend amongst Arendelle soldiers... Princess Merida even ordered ten of her best archers to accompany us, despite the small chances of us even being attacked.

All the new information made Anna's head swim. _Okay, sure, I wanted to feel important. But really? Isn't this a little overdone?_

Three knocks on the window alerted them to the fact that they had reached the city's outer wall, which meant Anna was allowed to open the curtains. She hardly recognized the city – a fresh layer of snow covered every flat surface. Pine trees had been placed on nearly every street corner, decorated with reds and yellows and gold and silver and blue and purple and – well, every colour Anna could think of, and then some. Most of the houses had wreaths on their doors or in front of their windows, and the many lanterns gave the city a romantic atmosphere.

Once Anna had taken all that in, her eye fell on her escort. There were twenty Arendelle soldiers marching around the carriage, and twenty more soldiers on horseback, their chest plates adorned with a bright yellow sun. _Corona._ Between all those men, seemingly disorganized, rode several men and women with yet another decoration on their armours: four intertwining circles with a sword in the middle of them. _Those must be the DunBroch_ _archers_, Anna thought, looking at the large bows on their backs.

_Definitely overdone._

The carriage rode her all the way into a courtyard of the castle, and only then the crowd of soldiers around it started dispersing. Anna was helped out of the carriage, where General Torvak and Commander Einhard bowed to her before walking off as well. _Well, that was surreal_.

"Ms. Oaken, lovely to have you back, dear!" Gerda's voice rang behind her. She turned around to see the woman hurrying towards her, a small army of servants trailing behind her. "I'll escort you to your chambers, dear. Then we need to get you ready for tonight. No disrespect to Queen Elsa, but the two of you have been cutting it awfully close."

"Uh, what?"

"The ball, child. The start of the Yule celebrations is always a ball, and it is tonight! So we have only a few hours to get you ready! Now, follow me, dear. Follow me!"

Anna had to jog to be able to keep up with Gerda, who was remarkably fast, considering her age. She had expected to be led to the room she had occupied before, but to her surprise, they had to climb a lot more stairs than she was used to. After a while, Gerda noticed her questioning glances. "Don't worry dear. Your usual chambers are currently occupied by the Duke of Weselton. The Queen has ordered us to prepare chambers in the royal wing on the third floor for you."

"Royal wing?" _That doesn't sound good._

"Yes, dear. A bit odd, frankly. The entire north wing of the third floor is occupied by royalty. The kings and queens of Corona and Dunbroch have their chambers there, as do their children, of course. The delegation from the Southern Isles, and the Princess of Foxcliff as well. Oh, and Queen Elsa herself of course. You will be occupying the last remaining chambers."

"Oh..."

If Anna had believed her previous chambers impressive, which she had, she wouldn't know how to classify this. It was at least twice the size, featuring its own fireplace, as well as a bookshelf. There was a door to an adjoining private bathroom, where she found a regular bathtub fit for a giant, as well as a more luxurious bathtub with the option of creating bubbles in the water.

"I hope it is to your liking, Miss," one of the servants curtsied. "Queen Elsa decorated the bookshelf herself. If any of the books need replacing, you have her permission to peruse the library on the third floor – the key is in the top drawer of the vanity." She curtsied again.

"Um... Thanks?"

Gerda smiled. "These six servants are yours for the duration of the Yule celebrations, Miss Oaken. They are the best of the best – the Queen had us make sure."

_Six servants? For me? Gosh, what will I have all of them do? I'm not that bothersome..._

"We'll prepare a bath, Miss Oaken," one of the servant girls offered, hurrying off to the bathroom. Anna heard running water. Gerda waved cheerfully before hurrying off again – probably seeing to one of her many other duties. That just left her with... her platoon of servants, who all looked at her patiently.

Anna was distracted by a knock on the door. With an asking glance, one of the servants opened the door, revealing a young boy – around eight years of age – carrying a letter. "Letter from Queen Elsa for Miss Oaken," he proclaimed dutifully.

Anna accepted the letter, broke the seal, and unfolded it.

_Dear Anna,_

_Welcome back to Arendelle Castle. I'm very glad to hear you've decided to join us. By the time you get this letter, you've probably figured out that I've been... tinkering with your status in society. You're not a noble, but you should be treated as such nonetheless._

_If there is anything you need – anything at all – you need only ask one of your servants. Alternatively, you can write a letter, sign it with your name, and seal it with the stamp you'll find on your bookshelf. I have taken the liberty of designing a seal for you – temporary, of course._

_Unfortunately, I'm quite busy at the moment, but I will come and find you at tonight's ball. A few words of warning: people will wonder what you're doing here, you not being a noble and all. Just... ignore them. I'll deal with them as soon as possible. Also, be wary of a small man, glasses, and an obviously-fake toupee. He's the Duke of Weselton, and he is peeved because I gave his room to you..._

_Forever yours,_

_Elsa_

Anna walked over to her bookshelf, finding the seal without trouble. She looked at the stamp's surface, immediately recognizing the image there. It was a Griffin. She smiled to herself as she scribbled a quick note, asking the kitchens to give the young page a small treat, signing it with her name and sealing it with her new toy.

Anna undressed and lowered herself in the fancy bathtub, immediately fiddling with the bubble mechanism. It was an odd sensation, but it was also oddly relaxing, once she got used to it. As she lay back, she let all the stress and worry seep out of her body. Well, almost all of it...

_How will I ever come face to face with Elsa? I behaved like a spoiled little brat last time I saw her... Then I stood her up for our reading date... I'd be totally angry if I were her... And instead of me manning up, she is actually the one taking the first step. I'm such a screw-up. Don't I know it... I mean, I could have written a letter or something, couldn't I? But no, instead, I chose to wallow in my self-pity._

Her semi-relaxing bath was ended all too soon by a soft knock on the bathroom door. "Miss, if you are almost done, we can start preparing you for tonight's ball?"

"Coming!" Anna bellowed. A few minutes later, she walked into the room again, still towelling her hair.

One of the servants took a long bag from the closet. "Shall we fit the dress, Miss?" she asked gingerly.

Anna could merely nod. She felt like she had lost the ability to speak, and it might be a while longer before she'd find it again. _If ever..._

She nodded again, as if she needed to convince herself, before walking over to the girl holding the dress. "The Queen picked this one herself, Miss. But if you were to prefer one of the others, that'd be fine too."

"Others? How many are there?"

The girl looked at one of the other servants, who peered into the closet. "Eleven, miss."

_Eleven?! Damn..._

Anna allowed two of the servant girls to help her into the dress, hardly getting a chance to look at it properly. All she knew was that it was blue. She couldn't even decide on a shade of blue. But she was certain she'd get a chance to look in the mirror once they had finished snaring her up.

When she finally stood in front of the giant mirror, she was in awe. The dress was indeed blue. It was nothing like the simple gowns she was used to. The corset was a deep navy blue, as was the upper part of the skirt. A silver line, fashioned out of tiny embroidered snowflakes, ran from the left side of her corset down to the right hem of the skirt, and underneath that line, the blue slowly faded into a lighter shade, until it was nearly white on the left hem of the skirt. The corset was high-backed, running up to her neck where it formed a high collar, but still leaving her shoulders bare. It fitted perfectly, showing off her feminine curves, without being raunchy or inappropriate.

"Wauw!"

"If I may say so, Ms. Oaken, you look... beautiful."

"I don't think we need to try any other dresses..." Anna muttered. "What's next?"

"Your hair and make-up, Ms. Oaken, if that suits you?" Another curtsy followed.

Anna sat down in front of the vanity, three servants suddenly surrounding her.

"Gerda asked us to leave the hair down..."

"Doesn't seem smart with the collar of the dress."

"Indeed. Wouldn't come out as well as with a bare-back dress."

"Then maybe a bun? Comb the hair back, pin it up?"

"Yes, and then have a few tresses fall down as a compromise to Gerda's plan?"

The servants were busily discussing Anna's hair before getting to work. In the meantime, a fourth servant had started working on her make-up. After a while, they stepped back to look at the results.

Anna had to admit, she was impressed. Sure, she wasn't nobility. But at least now she _looked_ like she was. She looked classy and elegant, but somehow she also still looked like... well, herself. She liked that most of all, actually.

Another knock at the door, which was again answered by a servant.

"Package from Queen Elsa for Miss Oaken," a middle-aged man with a snobbish expression sing-sung. "Oh, look at you! Such beauty! Such magnificence! Really, you could rival our good Queen in looks, _ma Cherie_. Just a few things missing. Just a few... Luckily, I brought your jewellery."

Anna slowly opened the box, revealing a myriad of jewels, and another little note.

_Dear Anna,_

_If you want, you can wear some of these jewels tonight. I've taken them from my personal collection – you're free to wear whichever you want. Jacques has a good eye for style, but if I may be so bold as to make a suggestion: you'll find a collier, silver, with a snowflake pendant. It is my personal favourite, and most of the attending nobles will recognize it as such if you were to wear it..._

_Forever yours,_

_Elsa_

Anna rummaged through the box, finding the aforementioned piece of jewellery without trouble. It was... incredible. The silver had been polished and glistened in her hands, the little snowflake glimmering as it moved in the light. In the centre of the masterfully crafted snowflake sat a single sapphire, not large, but easily noticed nonetheless.

"_Oui_, _tres magnificent, non? _But, if I may, perhaps not the most suitable piece." He rummaged through the box, pulling out a thin gold necklace with an intricate pendant. "Maybe this?"

"No," Anna said, her voice firm. "I'll wear the collier." She couldn't explain, but everyone knowing she wore Elsa's collier just felt... right. It made the entire affair a little less scary. "Well, _ma Cherie, _if you insist..."

Anna also settled on two silver rings, one on each hand, and delicate silver earrings. When she looked into the mirror, she almost mistook herself for actual nobility. "How long before it starts?"

As Jacques left again, one of the servants checked the clock against the far wall. "Little over half an hour, Miss."

Anna stood in front of the window, looking out over the docks. She was intrigued by the many ships now littered around in the water. She recognized most of the flags waving in the wind. The ships of DunBroch and Corona were easily the largest, along with the Arendelle's own flagship. The Southern Isles ship was a close contender, but all the others were easily dwarfed by the giants. Weselton, Emerald Isles, Foxcliff and several other duchies and kingdoms were apparently attending, their ships bobbing up and down in the water between the larger ships. For the next ten minutes, Anna wondered on whether or not the snow out there was natural. Maybe Elsa had used her powers to build a Yule vibe? She made a mental note to ask her tonight.

* * *

><p>The ballroom was amazing. And immense. And overcrowded. The servants had told Anna that tonight's ball would be held in the main ballroom, as opposed to the smaller ballroom in which the representatives ball had been held. The same icy trees that had decorated that ballroom now decorated this one, with the added effect of continuously falling snowflakes, which evaporated before they reached the crowd below the icy branches.<p>

But Anna was even more impressed by the crowd gathered in the ballroom. She had never such a collection of crowns and tiaras gathered before her. And the suits and dresses... an abundance of colours and materials, she was certain. She didn't recognise anyone as she entered the ballroom, many sets of eyes suddenly upon her.

It seemed like a good idea to make her way to the table with drinks and food first, and she feasted her eyes on everyone around her as she zigzagged between royals. Halfway there, she was suddenly stopped by beautiful young woman. "_Enchanté_. You must be the Ms. Oaken I've been hearing so much about," she smiled, her blue eyes twinkling. "You and Queen Elsa have stirred up quite a storm. _Une roturier!_ people said. So old fashioned. Welcome to the ball, _chérie_."

Anna looked at her. "Well met," she muttered, sticking to English. "Apologies, I know not who I have the honour with?"

"Ah, _naturellement_. I'm Belle, Queen of France. And I, of course, know who you are..."

Anna's look must have betrayed her confusion, for she continued. "_La collier d'Elsa_. The snowflake is a giveaway. _Mais, excusez-moi, s'il vous plait. _My husband is asking for me. I'm sure we'll talk again."

_That went well_, Anna thought as she continued towards the snacks. As soon as Anna popped the first truffle in her mouth, she heard a screech-like sound behind her. She turned around, coming face to face with a forehead. And the man to whom it belonged. Clearly, this was the man Elsa's note had warned her about.

"So! You're the one that _stole_ my room, _Miss_ Oaken. Surely this is no place for a boorish farmer?"

Anna was about to provide an indignant huff while thinking of an answer, but she was unable to do so, mostly out of surprise.

"Oi, lad! Surely you are not questioning Queen Elsa's decision? That'd be a wee bit of a scandal on its own, aye?" Anna was momentarily put off by the strong Scottish accent. Another voice, without accent, immediately followed it. "Or maybe he's just trying to insult Elsa's honoured guest? That would be quite a spectacle... Especially if _someone_ were to accidentally let it slip to her..."

The good Duke slinked away without another word, leaving Anna with her two saviours. She turned around to find two women, both slightly taller than her, looking at her peculiarly. One of them wore a simple green gown, and sported a head of fiery red curls – similarly coloured to her own but infinitely less tame. The other women was dressed in a pink dress, and had her long, blonde hair cascading down her back. The looks they were giving her were almost judging. Anna noticed the tiaras both of them wore on their heads.

"Yes, I can see it..." the blonde muttered after a few seconds.

"Hm. Looks like a lovely lass," the other responded.

They both lowered their heads. "Princess Rapunzel of Corona, and Princess Merida of DunBroch. Elsa has told us about you. A lot."

"More like she never shuts up," Merida muttered with mock annoyance.

Anna grew red. "Don't embarrass her like that, Mer," Rapunzel chided. "Come, walk with us for a bit."

Anna did as she was asked, walking in between the two women, who occasionally nodded or exchanged a few words with others in the ballroom. "Elsa really likes you, you know," Rapunzel muttered after a while.

"Bloody lass is too stubborn to admit it though," Merida immediately followed up.

Rapunzel laughed. "That's true, yes. But still, I imagined we'd need to do a lot more coaxing to convince her to break with regulations and invite you."

"She gets stuck in routine and rules and regulations. She needs a good spontaneous lass like you."

"I'm not sure-"

Rapunzel smiled, squeezing Anna's shoulder. "Don't worry, you don't have to tell us anything. But you _are_ going to ask Elsa for her first dance."

Anna looked over to the dance floor, where several pairs were already waltzing around. "She won't accept. She wouldn't be the first all-female pair on the floor."

Merida scoffed. "We know, lass." Merida stepped around Anna, giving a mock bow to Rapunzel. "_Your Highness_, may I have the honour of your first dance?" she asked with a deepened voice.

Rapunzel giggled a little. "I suppose so. It's not like _Eugene_ is going to dance with me tonight," she added, glancing at one of the wine tables, where a muscular man stood drinking like a ruffian. Anna could only watch as the two princesses made their way to the floor, grabbed a hold of each other and started dancing away.

Anna looked around. Elsa's platinum blonde hair was hard to miss. She manoeuvred through the crowd, until she was within earshot of the Queen. Just then, a tall, handsome, dark-haired man wearing an intricate gold crown stepped up to Elsa.

"Your Majesty. Might the honour of your hand in a dance be mine?"

Anna's stomach lurched, and she suddenly found herself looking for an escape route. She didn't notice Elsa's glance, but she did catch the answer. "Apologies, Prince Frederick, I believe I see an old friend. Maybe later tonight?"

The Prince nodded tersely, clearly displeased. Anna watched in awe as Elsa floated through the crowd towards her, easily and casually slipping her arm through hers. "Hello Anna," she muttered, her voice a little tense.

"Hi..."

They walked side by side for a moment, neither of them talking, both of them thinking. And then, at the same time, they started.

"I'm sorry-"

"I apologize-"

They looked at each other for a moment before bursting in a fit of giggles, very unbefitting for a Queen. Anna was the first to recover. "I was childish, and I acted like a spoiled little-"

"Anna!" Elsa interrupted her with a stern look. "I won't hear it. You were right to feel slighted, and I'm the one who should apologize."

"Let's make a deal?" Anna asked. "Neither of us apologises and we just forget it?"

"It's a deal," Elsa smiled. "Now, how are you finding the ball?"

"Impressive. Overwhelming. Crowded."

"Yes, nothing like the other ball, correct?"

"Definitely. And I ran into the Duke of Weaseltown."

"_Weselton_."

"Right. Sorry."

"But you survived?"

"Yes. Princesses Merida and Rapunzel came to my rescue."

Elsa's face actually distorted then. "Did you talk?"

"A bit... then they went dancing."

"I... see. What did they... tell you?"

"Nothing to worry about," Anna laughed. "They wanted me to ask you to dance, though."

Elsa was silent for a while, placing an empty glass on a waiter's plate. "Then why don't you?"

Anna was silent for a minute before releasing Elsa's arm and turning towards her. She curtsied, lifting the skirt of her dress ever so slightly. _Good thing I brushed up on those etiquettes_. "Your Majesty, would you honour me with a dance?"

Elsa rolled her eyes. _Quite certain that wasn't part of the etiquette..._ "I thought you'd never ask, Anna. We can't keep Rapunzel and Merida dancing with each other for our sake all night... And I'm fairly certain they'll keep going until we've danced." They walked to the floor. "And I wouldn't want to be Merida right now. Her mother is... traditional, and looking rather displeased at her daughter's antics."

As they prepared to start their dance, Anna did indeed catch a glimpse of a fair, stern woman, her face rather disgruntled as a large man standing next to her laughed boisterously. Anna felt Elsa's arm wrapping around her waist, and suddenly the angry queen didn't exist anymore. Faintly, she heard the murmuring buzzing through the ballroom.

"Queen Elsa, dancing with a girl?"

"Is that the commoner girl everyone's talking about?"

"She declined my invitation for _her?_"

But neither of them cared. They barely noticed Merida and Rapunzel's smiles. Anna saw Prince Hans, wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, but didn't have time to think about it as Elsa started twirling her around.

"So, looking forward to the celebrations, Anna?"

"Uhm, isn't this the celebration?" she asked, still slightly distracted by the fast she was dancing with Elsa. Again.

"Well, this is only the first day. We'll have a tourney tomorrow, a day of rest after that. Then there's an elaborate banquet, a day of surprise, another resting day for people to spend as they please, and then another ball."

"Wauw! You really pulled everything you had, didn't you?"

"Well, we have to impress other nations somehow, don't we?" Elsa smiled smugly. "Also, thank you for not hugging my ice trees while I was talking to dignitaries."

"I _never_ hugged your ice creations," Anna huffed, her shame and shyness now mostly forgotten.

Elsa merely cocked an eyebrow. "With the exception of some of the animals in the garden, perhaps," Anna laughed.

"And if I recall correctly, you practically used my dragon as a slide."

"That I did..."

"The dress looks good on you."

"Um... Thanks. It's beautiful. But really, _eleven_ dresses?"

The music stopped then, and Elsa carefully escorted her off the floor, immediately linking their arms again. Anna followed her without complaint.

The Duke of Weselton was immediately upon them. "Your Majesty," he curtsied. "Such a pleasure to see you. And your honoured guest, of course."

Elsa frowned. "Arendelle is pleased to have you attending, Your Grace," she replied politely.

"Yes, well, I was hoping we could discuss some of our trade agreements in order to-"

Elsa raised her hand, the Duke immediately silencing. "No business during Yule, good sir. Now, if you'd excuse us..." she let the sentence linger, but the Duke understood the message and stepped out of their way after another short bow.

"This way," Elsa muttered. She led them to a small group on the side of the dance floor, where Anna came face to face with a familiar face again. "Anna, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. This is Belle, and her husband Adam. They're the King and Queen of France."

Belle laughed a chime-like laugh. "We've already met, _ma chére_, but I'm honoured that you bring her to meet me first." Belle and Elsa hugged briefly, after which the French woman planted a single kiss on Elsa's cheek. Wholly unprepared, Anna almost tumbled over when she did the same to her. "A lovely young lady, Elsa," Belle smiled.

"I'm not _actually_ a lady," Anna muttered in protest, hoping to avoid confusion on her status in society.

"Oh, I know..." Belle replied with an odd ring to her voice, letting the sentence linger for a while, as if something was supposed to follow. "Now, Elsa, don't look, but I think Queen Elinor is charging at you..."

Hardly two seconds later, Anna came face to face with the grumpy Queen. She, however, hardly had eyes for her, focusing solely on Elsa. "Your Majesty. Do you think there is any chance you might be able to contain my daughter and keep her from embarrassing herself?"

Elsa shook her head. "Merida is as strong-willed as her parents, Majesty. I fear not even I can change that. Unless you want me to freeze her in place – but I'd rather not risk a war with DunBroch over a dance with Princess Rapunzel..."

Queen Elinor seemed to soften somewhat. "You're right," she sighed. "Especially with the north acting up as they are..."

Anna looked at Elsa, who wore her Queenly mask again. "Yes. But let's not ruin the mood by discussing war right now. A meeting has been called for the day after tomorrow. Until then, I'd like to enjoy Yule." _War? North? What?_

Queen Elinor nodded sullenly. "Is this the girl everyone has been going on about?"

Elsa suddenly brightened again. "She is indeed. Anna, Queen Elinor of DunBroch – Merida's mother. Queen Elinor, Anna – daughter of the Mayor of Hellmark."

The Queen looked at Anna, not unkindly, and then shook her hand. "Pleasure to meet you. Now, I need to save that poor soul that is trying to wrestle my husband..."

Elsa continued to lead Anna around the room for a while, introducing her to dignitaries and royals around the ballroom. The Princess of Foxcliff, Prince-Consort of Corona (_Rapunzel's husband, right? _Anna thought but dared not ask), and many more. Finally, they encountered Merida, Hans and Rapunzel.

Hans immediately smiled at Anna, but then turned away and looked at the two princesses. "Anna is really fond of childhood stories about Elsa, so fire away."

Merida immediately slung her arm around Anna's shoulder. "Well then lass, you're in the right place here. Let me see now... Ah, I know! I'll tell ye about the time Elsa wanted to learn archery!"

Elsa suddenly downed a glass of wine. "Oh, no you won't!" she yelped, turning a bright red. Rapunzel hid her giggle behind her hand as Merida's wine cup suddenly froze to her lips.

"Mmbrghmm."

"_Exactly," _Elsa smirked.

"Fine, fine," Merida mumbled once her lips had thawed. "I'll tell the lass some other time then. Bloody ice. A girl can't win against ye, can she? All _I_ ever managed was turning me mum into a bear..."

After that statement, Anna actually had trouble swallowing her own drink. "What?"

Merida started a lengthy tale that sounded a little too far-fetched to be true, but was incredibly amusing nonetheless. Anna's head was starting to feel fuzzy, so she decided to go easy on the wine or now. Besides her, Elsa was chatting happily with Hans, already having finished another cup of wine.

Merida finished telling her tale, waving her arms around in an undignified manner. Anna laughed, but halfway through her laugh turned into a yawn. She tried to hide it, but failed. Badly.

"Elsa, it appears your guest is tired. Why don't you escort her to her chambers?" Hans asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Not necessary, I know the way," Anna immediately objected.

"Lass like you can't be running around the castle on her own," Merida interjected.

Elsa seemed to doubt, looking from Anna to the crowd behind them.

"Go on, Elsa," Rapunzel said softly. "The party won't go wild without you, and will still be here when you return. No one will even notice – and if they do, Merida and I will cover for you."

Elsa nodded then, taking Anna's arm again. "Ready?"

"Yes," Anna said, again half-yawning.

The corridors were dark and deserted, and they didn't encounter anyone as they strolled towards Anna's chambers. They walked in a comfortable silence, eventually reaching the door to Anna's chambers in the Royal Wing. Anna immediately noticed the change.

Whereas at first only the door to Elsa's chambers had been decorated – blue snowflakes painted on a white door – all doors now had a symbol on them. Anna recognized the sun of Corona and the sword of DunBroch, but the others were indistinguishable in the darkness. Those were not important, though. She was focused on the shape on the door to _her_ chambers.

"I... took the liberty of choosing yours," Elsa muttered hesitantly. "It's not official, of course... But since you seemed to like the Griffin sculpture a lot... I figured..."

"It's perfect, Elsa," Anna smiled, stopping in front of her door. As she surveyed the outline of the mythical beast, she noticed something else, and her smile suddenly dropped. Elsa noticed it, following her gaze upwards.

_Mistletoe._

"Mistletoe..." Elsa muttered. "I wonder how that got there..."

Anna frowned. "I think we both have a general idea..."

"True..." Elsa smiled faintly.

Anna wasn't sure what caused it. Maybe it was the wine. Maybe it had been the good time she spent with Elsa tonight. Maybe her presence was just intoxicating. Or maybe it was all of that combined that caused her to speak her mind out loud.

"Still, wouldn't want the Queen to ignore customs, would we?" It sounded as a teasing remark. But still... it also sounded _sultry_. Or so Anna thought.

Elsa looked at her intently for several long moments. Long enough for Anna's heart to stop beating, and fall to her feet. She was about to follow up with a joke, fearing she had overstepped some invisible barrier.

_Hell, I don't even know why I said that! I'm such an idiot! Idiot! Idiot! You're talking to the Queen here, Anna! What were you thinking? Have you gone completely mad? Just imagine what she must be thinking now?! Great job ruining something good. AGAIN!_

Then, to her surprise, Elsa smiled. "Indeed, we wouldn't want that..."

Anna's breath caught in her throat. Elsa slowly leant forward, her face inching closer to Anna's. Her heart had started beating again. Frantically, and completely off-rhythm, but it _was_ beating. Anna just wasn't sure for how much longer.

She could feel Elsa's cool breath on her face now. She could smell the fruity scent of wine, and smell Elsa's signature scent of... _winter_. And then she was there. Her velvet-soft lips planted on Anna's own. And Anna felt as if she could spontaneously combust.

The kiss was chaste and short, but enough for Anna to send her mind and body into overdrive. She was certain Elsa would feel the sudden wave of heat that seemed to envelop her body. She knew she was blushing, probably from head to toe. Elsa had fully pulled back, now smiling at her kindly. "Good night, Anna."

Before Anna realised she had to answer, Elsa was already halfway down the corridor. She muttered a goodnight of her own, but figured Elsa would not be able to hear the squeak that was her voice. She fled into her room, shed her dress in an instant, and landed in bed, where she untied her hair.

Her mind kept replaying the kiss. Over and over again. The softness of Elsa's lips. The way their lips perfectly locked together. The way Elsa had looked at her afterwards. The way it had sent a tingly feeling from her stomach to the rest of her body, until that was the _only_ thing she could still feel.

_But_, Anna forced herself to think, _it was just a mistletoe kiss. Everyone knows those don't mean anything. I practically forced her into it. Still, if she hadn't wanted it, she wouldn't have done it, right? I'm sure it didn't mean anything. She would probably have kissed Rapunzel or Merida or even Hans if she had found herself under mistletoe with them. No, it didn't mean anything. Mistletoe kisses never do._

_But what if this one was different? It certainly felt different..._

* * *

><p>Elsa had taken several minutes to cool herself down in a deserted corridor before returning to the ball. She hardly believed she had just done that. Sure, it was <em>just<em> a kiss. But was there really such a thing as 'just a kiss?' She wasn't certain. Anna had practically dared her to do it, and she had wanted to do it. Very much.

Then why was she still doubting whether it had been the right thing to do? Well, no matter, really. Especially when she looked at it objectively. They had both had a little too much wine, probably. Elsa knew _she_ had. And it was only a kiss because of the mistletoe. No mistletoe equalled no kiss. Exactly. That meant it didn't mean a thing.

The thought both elated and depressed her.

Back in the ballroom, she found Hans, Rapunzel and Merida waiting for her. The two princesses knew Elsa well enough, and high-fived each other discreetly as she walked in. Hans, not noticing, raised his eyebrows and grinned. "Did it work?"

She clenched her fist in response. Half the ballroom looked their way when Hans suddenly yelped loudly, ice forming on the inside of his suit. He recovered quickly, though. "I'll take that as a yes, then," he smiled smugly.

Elsa merely released and exasperated sigh. "How will I ever survive with the three of you around?"

**I'm updating his story a little sooner than I had originally planned, but I have a good reason. My next update will be for my other story, so this one will have to wait a little longer this time around. Hope you awesome people can find it in your pretty hearts to forgive me for that. Also, a few replies to reviews/PMs:  
><strong>

**It was not my intention to make Elsa comes across as a bitch in the previous chapter - just someone who's somewhat confused and conflicted, and not entirely certain on how to act. Also, Anna wants to be with Elsa too much to give her too much of a hard time, so no begging (at least not now...)**

**Also, I still need an event for one day, namely the "surprise" day - I haven't been able to come up with anything for it yet, and it feels a little cheap to just call it another day of rest - so the best suggestion I get from you lovely people will fill the fifth day! :)**

**Then, I've received some questions about a cover image for this fic: I've come to the realisation that my artistic skills don't measure up to my writing. Not to blow my own horn on my writing skills - my drawing skills are just non-existant. Like, totally. So, unless someone provides one, there will be no cover image - apologies if that pertubes you.**

**Let's see, what am I forgetting? Ah, right! You people are all awesome, and I feel I should thank you for your PMs, reviews, favorites and follows. Again. So, thanks! Keep on being awesome and making my day with all your lovely attention. Special thanks goes to Jahaira for being critical of my previous chapter and giving me ideas for this one and the next few. I hope I redeemed myself with this chapter.**

**I still do happy dances for every review I get, and it is keeping me very fit, so please keep leaving them for me! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, so, yes, this is here sooner than expected. I said I'd be a little slower, and I really intended it to be so... But then I had this rather nasty nightmare in which all my faves/follows/reviews disappeared, and you lot started chasing me with torches, pitchforks and a demonic elephant (don't even ask...) so I got up in the middle of the night and finished this chapter. It seems rather silly in hindsight, but since it's done anyway, I might as well publish it.**

* * *

><p>She was late. Not that unusual for her, of course. Her bed had been too soft, and none of her servants had thought to wake her for the start of the tourney. So she had hurriedly dressed in one of the simpler gowns Elsa had provided for her, had wrapped her hair in a simple bun and cleaned her face. It would have to do.<p>

Of course, all of that she did thinking about the night before. The kiss that hadn't meant anything. She was almost glad she wouldn't have to come face to face with Elsa today – it gave her some time to decide on how she wanted to act.

When she reached the stands that had been erected for the people to watch the tourney, she was amazed. It was so... big! Most of it was reserved for the common citizens of the city. On the left side were the stands for the noble guests attending Arendelle's Yule festivities. That side also housed several small, covered hut-like structures, which separated its inhabitants from the rest of the audience. The largest one was smack in the middle of the tribune, sporting a blue snowflake on its side. Anna also noticed the insignias of Corona and DunBroch on the huts placed on both ends of the tribune.

She took another look at the slip of parchment in her hand. _A. Oaken, C17._ Stand C was one of the three nobility sections. Anna smiled to herself, Elsa really hadn't spent any expenses for her. She climbed the stairs, keeping her eye on the signs indicating the seat numbering. She found seat C17 without any trouble. The only problem was that it was already occupied.

"Excuse me, M'lord? I believe you are in my seat," she curtsied politely, smiling gently at the portly, red-faced man.

"You're quite mistaken, Milady," he smiled back. "Seat C17, T. Varra. Theodore Varra. That's me, I'm sure."

Anna showed the man her own slip. "Well, Lady Oaken..." Lord Varra smiled, "you should probably go and check in with the organization. The people at the front desk told me this was my seat, so they should know where to place you too."

Anna curtsied again, hurrying back to the main entrance of the makeshift arena. She could already see the first knights marching onto the field and lining up for the Queen's speech. The entrance was almost deserted, most people having found their seats without any problems. She quickly approached one of the women.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but my seat seems to be occupied."

"Name?"

"Anna Oaken."

She looked at a long list, tracing the names with her finger. "Oaken, Anna. Seat B14."

Anna nodded and almost ran back up the stairs, this time of the central area. B14, however, did not seem to exist. One of the guards approached her.

"Milady, can I help you?"

"Not a lady, but can you tell me where B14 is?"

The man took a step backward, bending at the waist. "Of course. B14 is Queen Elsa's box."

_Oh fudge. _

"I'll escort you, Miss Oaken."

Anna followed the man immediately. "How'd you know who I was?"

"Well, you said you weren't a lady, Miss. And the only one on this side of the arena that is not a noble would be Queen Elsa's honoured guest, Anna Oaken of Hellmark. Your seating arrangement confirms this."

"Does _everyone_ around here know about me?" Anna muttered to herself.

"Yes, Miss. It is quite unusual for the Queen to take such an interest in anyone – safe other royals, of course. You're the talk of the town. Here we are." He gestured toward the entrance of the little construct. "Enjoy, Miss."

Anna knocked on the door, and immediately heard Elsa's voice. "Come in."

Elsa looked up from a large stack of papers as Anna shuffled inside, remaining stationary at the door. "Hello, Anna. I hope the last minute change in seating arrangements wasn't too troublesome?"

Anna only managed a small shake of her head, nerves suddenly playing up. _What to do? How should I act? Should I talk about yesterday? No, that would be awkward. So just ignore it happened and proceed as usual? Yes, that would make sense. But I don't know if I can do that! And Elsa's so calm. She doesn't look nervous at all. She's blushing though. But probably not because of me. Of course not because of me. It's chilly, that's it! That's the reason. But I really should-_

"Are you alright?" Elsa's eyes betrayed her concern, scanning Anna's face for discomfort of any kind.

"No, no! I mean, yes! I'm fine. Just a little... I don't know, really. It's just that- Never mind. I uhm, you know, just... Gah!"

Elsa laughed, shuffling to the side of the small couch she sat on. "Take a seat while you calm down, Anna. If you don't mind being seen with me, of course."

Anna quickly did as she was told, silent as Elsa returned her attention to the papers in front of her. Anna looked around, coming to the conclusion that, from this spot, she could oversee _everything_. She watched the commoners on the other side of the tourney pit, excitement buzzing around them. She watched the noblemen and women sitting and chatting around their box. She could see Rapunzel and her family in the Corona box all the way to the left. She could also see Merida and her father in the DunBroch box to the right, talking animatedly while Queen Elinor stared into the distance.

There was a heavy silence between them. Anna noticed that Elsa was looking at the papers, but her eyes never moved, so she wasn't actually reading. She wanted to say something, but wasn't sure what. _This has to be one of the most uncomfortable silence in like... ever!_

"So..." Elsa started suddenly, although nothing followed.

"So?"

Elsa shook her head, dismissing the start of a sentence, as if she wasn't sure what she was going to say anyway. _I've never seen her like this_, Anna mused.

"Like what?"

_Oh boy. Me and my loud thoughts..._

"Nothing!" she yelped, unable to come up with something else in time.

Elsa merely raised her eyebrows.

"You are just... less articulate than usual? Not that that's a bad thing. I'm never as articulate as you are. You are super-duper articulate always. Except for now. Wait, why did I say that? I shouldn't have said that, should I? Could I be hanged for that? I did technically insult you, didn't I? Please don't hang me! Ugh, listen to me going on, of course you wouldn't hang me You like me way too much for that... Or at least I think you like me? Not in- I just- What I'm saying is- I don't- I meant to say- Maybe it's-"

Anna felt more and more blood flowing to her head, lighting up her face as if it were part of the Yule decorations. In her defence, though, Elsa's blush also seemed to magnify strongly.

"I do like you, Anna," Elsa interrupted her, finally freeing her from the curse that her rambling formed. "I just..." She let the sentence trail off again, before she started laughing softly. "I suppose I really am getting less articulate."

Anna was still working on the 'I do like you, Anna' part. It had come out with a soft and unfamiliar undertone. Anna wasn't quite sure how to take it. _Did she mean that? And why does 'like' have so many different meanings!? I mean, you can like someone the way I like Kristoff. And you can like something the way I like reading. And then there's the way I like chocolate! Does Elsa like me the way I like chocolate? Oh, that'd be..._

_And then there's the way I like Elsa. _

The thought came on suddenly and unbidden. It even surprised Anna. Of course, she'd known there was something off about the way she liked Elsa. That was pretty hard to ignore after that dream she'd had the first night. But she had never _actually_ put it into words.

_What if Elsa likes me the way I like Elsa?_

That was a different question entirely. One she could not answer. Not yet. Maybe never. _Probably never_. _There's this entire "I'm a farmer and she's the Queen" thing, remember, Anna?_

More and more knights gathered in the pit below them, some of them wearing a kingdom's emblem on their armour or shields, others not sporting any way to indicate their allegiance. Elsa put her papers down and turned towards her again. "Ready?"

She nodded dumbfounded. _It's not like this tourney needs my go-ahead, is it?_

"Good." Elsa shot her another brilliant smile before standing and walking towards the railing at the front of their box. The people, seeing her standing there, immediately rose to their feet as well – and Anna followed suit. _It's amazing how she recovers from her blabbering and I'm just left behind, being a pile of rambles still..._

"Welcome, one and all, to Arendelle's Grand Yule Tournament! Today, our valiant knights will partake in jousting or melee. After today, we will know which knight is the most talented, most skilled and most honourable! The rules have been explained to you – stick to them and we should all have a grand day. Now, allow me to introduce today's Marshall: Lord Eskar, who will be leading this tourney. Good luck, _bonne chance_!

The Marshall declared that they would start with the melee, and the first two contestants were announced. Anna watched as a Coronan knight walked onto the field, a shining sword held high. His opponent, a knight from Weselton, looked like a scrawny kid in comparison to this epitome of knighthood.

They both bowed to the royalty present, before taking up their positions. Anna had never attended a tourney, but she was aware of the rules. Fair play, no killing blows. That did little to curb her enthusiasm, though. As the two men started circling each other, she felt a squeal bubbling up in her throat. The Weselton knight jumped forward, swinging his sword in a wide arc and – then the match was over. The Coronan knight stood over his opponent, who was flat-faced on the ground, the tip of a sword pressing against his neck.

"Well, that was anticlimactic," Anna muttered as everyone started applauding.

Elsa snickered. "Very few can measure up to a knight of Corona. Certainly no one from Weselton."

The next match was between a knight from the Southern Isles and one from Arendelle. Elsa seemed more interested in this match – for obvious reasons, Anna figured. They seemed to be a match for one another, their swords clashing together, filling the pit with the sounds of ringing metal and grunting men. Eventually, the Arendelle knight got the upper hand, flooring his opponent. The crowd went wild, and Anna heard a loud roar above it all. She soon found the source, the King of the Southern Isles sat in his own royal box, shouting obscenities at both of the knights.

The few matches after that were uneventful, most of the soldiers from larger kingdoms easily defeating their opponents. One knight, dressed in simple black armour, stood out, defeating his opponent with particular aggression, though not _actually_ breaking any rules.

"Who's that?" Anna asked Elsa in between matches.

Elsa's look focused. "I'm not entirely sure. Knight Enwyn according to the list, but there's no affiliated kingdom. He's skilled, though."

Time passed quickly, and after the first few matches Anna felt her attention slacken. She paid attention to the matches of Arendelle knights, as well as the Coronan fighter and the man in the black armour, but the others just passed her by in a blur of flashing steel and men trying to impress the crowd.

Eventually, the Marshall called for a short intermission, after which the finale would be fought between the Coronan knight and the man in the black armour – the last Arendelle knight had been bested by the Coronan in the previous fight.

A servant immediately entered their little spot, carrying a tray with different beverages. "Your Majesty, wine? Water? Fresh juice?"

"Just bring everything in, please."

The servant nodded, and after a few minutes, six servants – some of which Anna recognized as part of her own platoon – entered with pitchers and plates. There were all kinds of snacks and beverages, neatly displayed on a behind their little couch.

Elsa looked at her apologetically. "I wasn't sure what you preferred, so I had the kitchens prepare... well... everything, really."

Anna smiled. Drinking wine before dinner didn't sound like a very good idea, but fresh juice of this quality was a novelty for her. She decided to take a little bit of everything .She hadn't thought about last night much while watching the tourney, but now that her mind didn't have anything to focus on, the thoughts returned with a vengeance.

"Enjoying yourself, Anna?"

"Uhm, sure?"

Elsa seemed to pick up on the doubtful tone of her answer. "Really now?"

She released a deep sigh. "Maybe not as much as I expected..."

Elsa laughed her bell-like laugh. "Don't worry, tourneys are boring as... Well, they're boring. We're only having one because it is tradition, and men generally enjoy them."

Now that Anna thought about it, Elsa did look like she'd rather be somewhere else. She looked at the rest of the public. Rapunzel and her mother might as well have been asleep and people wouldn't have noticed a difference. Queen Elinor was still staring into the distance, and Anna honestly believed she hadn't moved a muscle since the start. Merida, on the other hand, was looking much more enthusiastic now than she had done during the ball.

"Merida might be the only exception present today," Elsa smiled, following Anna's gaze. "This is the kind of thing she lives for. Not balls and soirees and tea. No, Merida likes fighting, archery, riding a horse through the forest at break-neck speed..."

The Marshall called everyone to attention again, gesturing the two remaining knights to enter the pit. The Coronan knight, his armour having a golden gleam, waved to the cheering crowd. He looked like a Champion, or so Anna thought. She wasn't entirely positive on what separated a Champion from a normal Knight. The other fighter received considerably less cheers, but he didn't acknowledge the crowd anyway, so Anna figured it didn't bother him that much.

The fight started, the two contestants circling each other, occasionally deflecting a blow. Corona ducked underneath a wide swing of his opponent, after which he hit him in his side with the pommel of his sword. To everyone's surprise, the black knight didn't even flinch. He just turned around and swung his arm against the shiny helmet, causing it to fly off, revealing the blonde hair of the knight.

Still recovering from the blow, he slowly staggered away from his quarry, raised his sword and shield again, and moved in for another attack. They now had the attention of everyone in the crowd, and Anna noticed that even Elsa was at the edge of her seat, viewing the fight attentively. The blonde knight swung his sword again, in an exaggerated arc, and not even Anna was surprised when the man in black deflected the blow with his own sword. Then, in less than a second, the Coronan fighter swung his shield, hitting his opponent smack in the face.

Still he did not flinch! He simply reached up, turned his helmet to align with his face again, and resumed fighting. The Coronan fighter got several more hits in on his opponent, but he just didn't go down. And then _he_ struck in earnest. His sword left a large cleft in the Coronan shield, the knight went down, and raised his hand in surrender.

The Marshall called the fight, but the knight in dark armour didn't seem to notice. He still towered over his opponent, lifting his sword up as if planning to deliver a killing blow. Before Anna had realised what happened, Elsa was on her feet.

"ENOUGH, Sir Enwyn! You are victorious. Don't dishonour yourself." Elsa's voice was loud and authoritative. The entire stadium fell silent when her voice first carried through, and remained so after that. At the first word, the knight had lowered his blade and turned his head towards the source. Now that it was silent again, however, he turned his head back to his fallen opponent.

In a fraction of a moment, he brought his sword back up, and swiftly began bringing it down again. There was an audible collective gasp throughout the crowd. Anna felt herself holding her breath, wanting to look away, but not able to do so. And then the sword flew from his hand, clattering onto the ground a few feet away. A green, long-shafted arrow lay on the ground between them. Had Anna not been paying such close attention, she wouldn't have seen the arrow impacting with the black knight's hand, causing a flinch during which the sword was discarded. It couldn't have hurt him and was probably just the shock, but it had done the job.

Anna shifted her attention to her right, where she found the source of the arrow. Merida now stood in their box, at the front railing like Elsa, her bow still aimed at the men in the pit, already drawing the bowstring back with a new arrow. Now that she took in her surroundings again, she noticed that almost every royal present had gotten up, glaring down at the black knight. They weren't looking at Anna, but she still felt the intimidation their gazes wrought.

The knight looked from Merida to Elsa, back to Merida, back to Elsa again, and then turned around and walked off, ignoring everything around him. The Marshall looked up at Elsa, and Anna noticed her giving an almost imperceptible shake of her head.

"Knight Elwyn is disqualified for breaking the rules!" the Marshall called. "The winner of today's melee is Knight Karwin of Corona! Now, we will have another intermission, after which the jousting will begin!"

The jousting had been even more of a drag than the melee, and Anna was _very_ happy when the Marshall finally declared the winner, one of Arendelle's own knights. By that time, it was slowly growing dark, the sun lingering just above the edges of the mountains. She hadn't really been paying attention to the men charging each other atop their horses – ridiculous sport, really – and she knew Elsa hadn't either. The knight in black armour had put a serious damper on Elsa's mood.

Anna got up as the crowd started milling outside, but Elsa caught her wrist. "Better to stay and wait a few minutes. That way you won't be squashed or trampled by the crowd," she smiled wistfully. Despite her inner turmoil, Anna wasn't planning on wasting an opportunity to spend a few more minutes with Elsa.

Just as Anna decided she was going to ask Elsa about yesterday's kiss, Elsa started talking. "Anna. As you know, there are no festivities tomorrow, and people are free to do as they choose. I'm having an important meeting with a few of our foreign allies. It's a sensitive meeting, but I... I'd like you to be there."

"Me?" Anna asked, flabbergasted. She didn't know anything about politics, and it wasn't her business in the slightest. "Why me?"

"Well..." Elsa seemed to hesitate. "Part of the meeting pertains to you. Or, well, me, really. Us, I suppose. There will be some talk about magic, and since you have this... _thing_ with my ice, I figured I should have you there. And besides, you're almost-"

Elsa suddenly cut herself off, clamping her lower lip between her teeth.

"I'm almost what?" Anna queried. _And since when are you the rambling mess I usually am?_

"Nothing," Elsa responded just a tad too quickly. "Come on, let's get back to the castle."

Their surroundings were mostly deserted when they left the little box from where they had been watching the tourney. They descended the stairs, and were met by Merida and Rapunzel at the bottom. _Princess Merida and Princess Rapunzel_, Anna corrected herself. _Don't get too sloppy with their titles!_

"Nice shot," Elsa commented wryly, inclining her head towards the pit. Merida actually looked rather proud. "Thanks. I figured someone had to do something."

Elsa nodded as they started walking. They'd soon left the tourney grounds behind them, walking down towards the castle through the city proper. Anna was vaguely aware of the guards trailing behind them, remaining at a fair distance, yet close enough to protect their charges if it would be necessary.

The entire party suddenly froze, causing Anna to bump into Elsa's back. She followed their gaze, letting her eyes trail down the street. There, at the opposite end, stood the knight in black armour. They stared each other down for some time, no one doing so much as even blink. Then, rather suddenly, the knight drew his sword and charged at Merida.

Before the feisty princess could even raise her bow, Elsa waved a hand. It looked so casual, it was almost surprising how much of an effect it had. Within seconds, the knight was frozen from his feet to his upper chest, his entire body encased in a thick layer of ice. He struggled for a few seconds, vainly, before lowering his head.

"You would forfeit your life with such reckless abandon?" Rapunzel inquired.

No response.

Elsa grew a few extra layers of ice, ensuring that the man couldn't move any of his limbs anymore. Then, with a concentrated and serious expression, she stepped towards him. "Now, Knight Elwyn – let's see the man behind the helmet, shall we?"

With a fluent motion, Elsa pulled the black helmet from the head, revealing the knight's face. Or rather, the location where his face _should have been_. There was the slight bulge where the nose would be, and two indentations where one would expect eyes, but that was all. Anna looked in horror at this abomination of a man, before she realized that it wasn't actually a man at all.

"Is that... a statue?" Merida asked from behind them, her bow still at the ready.

"Yes..." Rapunzel muttered, obviously as confused as the rest.

"That... explains why he was so unfazed when hit."

Anna coughed. "I think we're missing the bigger picture here," she muttered, not loudly but still audibly, "why was a _statue_ walking around and fighting and just generally _moving_ anyway? Or rather, _how_?"

Her royal companions nodded, continuing to observe the statue. It remained unmoving, all the life that had previously inhibited it now seemingly fleeted. While they were poking, pinching and rubbing the stone – for it really was stone – Anna was suddenly distracted. She wasn't entirely certain by what, but for some reason her attention was drawn to the darkness between two houses. When she squinted slightly, she thought she could make out the outline of... something. It seemed prudent to share this little insight with the others.

As soon as Elsa, Rapunzel, and Merida turned their heads to the location Anna pointed out, a misshapen form the size of a small human lurched out of the shadows, running away from them. Anna wasn't entirely certain why, but she found herself running after it. She hardly had the time to be amazed by her companions. Rapunzel had discarded her shoes, running after the _thing_ faster than any of them, a feat Anna had not expected from the blonde princess. Merida had made her way to the roofs in a similarly impressive feat, now following their target from the rooftops. Elsa was shooting ice at the hunching form while running, but it didn't seem to do much good.

They ran for several minutes, the odd form slowly increasing the distance between them. Just when all seemed lost and Anna was certain they'd lose it, she heard a piercing cry from above. She looked up just in time to see a large shape descending onto the vague silhouette in the distance, the sound of breaking stone audible even from this distance.

Everyone stood in awe as they watched the icy Griffin lift its form from the remains of another statue. To everyone's surprise, it turned its head towards them, and then slowly walked over to Anna, nuzzling its large head against her. Anna felt the comfortable touch of Elsa's magic as she patted the beast on its sharp beak – it made her unusually happy to be reunited with this particular creation.

Merida and Rapunzel looked from Anna to the Griffin, then to Elsa, and then back to Anna again. "That was... unexpected," Rapunzel commented dryly. "I assume this is an... acquaintance of yours?"

Elsa nodded. "Yes. This is the Griffin I told you about. The one that brought Anna's effect on my ice to my attention. Although, frankly, I wasn't really aware of its presence until it just... dropped from the sky."

They shared a few chuckles, before returning their attention to the statue. Or rather: the pile of broken stones and rubble that remained of it. Amongst the remain, Elsa found its head, still mostly intact. "Oh dear," she muttered.

"What?" three voices asked in return, all at the same time.

"I know this statue. It's one of the two gargoyles that stand near the western gates of the castle. Although I fear _stood_ would now be the more appropriate verb tense."

Anna raised an eyebrow, shooting Elsa an incredulous look. "You're telling us that something caused this statue to come to life?"

Elsa merely nodded. "Guard! Take this head to my study. Then go back to the dark knight I've frozen back there. Find out if that's another statue from around here, and bring it to my study as well. _In pieces_." The guard nodded, took the head from Elsa, and ran off with two of his mates.

Returning her attention to the sky, Elsa held out a hand and waited for a few seconds. Another one of her creations came soaring out of the darkness, landing on her outstretched arm delicately. Anna smirked. She remembered that one too.

It was a large bird – but that wasn't what made it special, there were many birds in Elsa's collection. No, this sculpture was of a mythical Phoenix, and Elsa had clearly done something differently than usual. The ice had a strange red and yellow gleam in it, rather than the pale blue most of her creations had been. She muttered a few words Anna couldn't overhear, after which the bird took flight again, headed towards the castle.

"We should head back as well. There's no telling what is still out here."

Everyone agreed, and they quickly set a course towards the safe confines of the castle walls, walking slightly faster than they would usually have. Despite the terrifying and confusing events, Anna felt remarkably safe. _The Griffin. Elsa. Merida and her bow. And who knows what Rapunzel is capable of? _

Hans sat behind his mahogany desk, feeling much less at ease than he would have liked. His father and two oldest brothers had just returned from the tourney and were now sitting in front of him. At his request. He pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing this meeting would be aggravating at best.

"Well, _boy_, tell my why you had the guts to summon me," his father huffed indignantly. "Who are you to summon me!?"

_Here we go_, Hans thought as he brought his signature charming smile to his face. With a lot more difficulty than usual. "Father, I did not summon you, I merely requested your presence."

His oldest brother scoffed. "You know full well that isn't true, Hansy."

"Stay out of it, Edmund," he replied without taking his eyes of his father's. "We have something important to discuss."

His father smiled. Not a kind and genuine smile, but a sarcastic little grin. "So, you've come to your senses and decided to return home. That's good. We'll find you a lovely little wife and a-"

"I _am_ home," Hans interrupted.

"How dare you interrupt your father, the King, like that!" his other brother nearly shouted.

"Edward, please, lower your voice."

His father leant forward, his smile now replaced by an intimidating scowl. Hans wasn't about to pull back though.

"You're denying your heritage, _boy_? You're a Prince of the Southern Isles. You are _not_ home in this icy little hole in the earth."

"You made this my home when you sent me here, seventeen years ago," Hans replied, keeping his voice flat.

"You were supposed to court Elsa, marry her and become king, you giant-"

"That's _Queen_ Elsa to you, Father," Hans sneered.

"Semantics! You should just have married the little bitch and bedded her. At least then you would have had some use to us!"

"You do _NOT_ talk about my sister like that!" Now Hans was _really_ getting angry.

"You don't have sisters!" Edmund yelled. "You have twelve brothers! All of whom you've ignored!"

"_I _ignored _you_? None of you ever contacted me after Father discarded me like I was some kind of undesirable decoration! And then you blame me for not leaving my home when, after all those years, you finally come calling!?"

Hans took a few slow, deep breaths. _Calm down. You won't get anywhere like this. They can't help it they're such incredible buffoons._

"Now, let's leave this behind us and-"

"Like hell we'll leave this behind us," his father growled. "You're coming back to the Southern Isles. Arendelle is no place for a Prince of the greatest kingdom in existence."

"Actually, I think Arendelle is larger, wealthier and more powerful than the Southern Isles," Hans mused aloud. "As are Corona, DunBroch, France, Russia, oh, and I'm certain I'm forgetting a few. It's hard to keep track if there are so many."

That hit a nerve, and Hans knew it. _Forget business. I won't get anything from them now_.

"Are you coming home or not?" his Father asked, his face growing red with anger.

"Like I said. I _am_ home. Here, in Arendelle. With Elsa. As my sister, not my wife."

"Your mother will be so disappointed in you, boy."

"Not as disappointed as I've been with all of you for the past ten years or so," Hans replied stone-faced. He really didn't care. Not after all those years of abandonment.

His father was about to reply when a giant mass of ice suddenly flew in through the open window. Hans looked at the bird, about the size of his torso, crafted of delicate ice in shades of red, gold and pinks, a crown of feathers atop its head. The temperature in the room suddenly dropped drastically, making it possible for the men to see their breaths.

Hans rose, beckoning to the door. "It's time you leave."

"I thought you summoned us here for business?" Edward snarled.

"And now I'm sending you away in favour of more important business. You'll hear what I wanted to discuss tomorrow, like everyone else. Now get out, before I have the guards escort you to your chambers."

* * *

><p><strong>As always, you people have been incredibly awesome to me! I have over 100 reviews (never expected that when I started writing, to be honest) and I feel we're not even halfway through the story! Please keep being as awesome as you are! Suggestions, criticism and compliments, as always, are welcomed via reviewPM! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

She crumpled the little piece of paper in her hand as she looked at the city below her. Onyx Tower's top-most balcony allowed for a good view of her empire. Not all of it, that'd be ridiculous. Her empire was too large to be viewed in full, no matter where she'd go. And it would grow. Oh, yes, it would grow so much larger.

_But this is a major setback_, she thought to herself, sending a tuft of pitch-black mist at the delivery bird. She leant down on the railing, watching as the bird started pulling out feathers from its wings. She didn't actually see it though, her mind many miles south from her tower.

_He messed up, and it's going to cost us. Shouldn't have sent that bloody peacock on important business anyway. Should have known something would ruffle his feathers. And now he has exposed himself... and my plans._

Gregor's footfalls behind her forced her to stop mulling, with which she was none too pleased. Dark mist had started whirling around her in large quantities, and as she swivelled around to face her most loyal companion, it shot towards him like a shark smelling blood in the water, filling the entire room with her dark energy.

She had to give him credit. Immunity or not, he never even flinched. He just stood there, waiting for her to calm down. That in itself aggravated her even more. She knew her mist had no effect on him – it never had. But every now and then she grew annoyed with his placid ways, _wanting_ him to be impressed by her. To _fear_ her like all the others.

"Something wrong, Milady?" he asked in his sullen baritone voice once she was calmed down somewhat.

"He screwed up."

"Who screwed up? And what does the bird have to do with it?"

She returned her attention to the messenger bird. It's wing was completely devoid of feathers now, its sharp beak instead pulling at the flesh underneath. She sighed in frustration, flicked her wrist, and watched as the bird hopped of the balcony. It would fall to his death at the bottom of the tower. _Serves him right for bringing bad news_.

"Clint exposed himself in Arendelle. The Ice Queen isn't a fool. She'll connect the dots."

"That she will. But everything will be fine. The plan is in motion and no one can do anything to change it. Clint will receive his punishment upon his return, I'm sure you'll see to that."

She wasn't paying attention anymore. She willed her mist to become more tangible, almost like thick, black smoke, and collect upon her head. After a few seconds, it started taking the shape of a crown.

"Say Gregor, wouldn't you think it's time for a coronation?" she smiled wickedly, studying her reflection in the large mirror on the wall.

"I'll see to it right away, Milady," Gregor replied solemnly, taking his mistress' whimsical attitude and sudden change in subject in stride.

* * *

><p>Snow was falling from the grey skies in a genteel manner, and, of course, it immediately reminded Anna of the Queen. A quick glance at the clock told her that she still had three more hours before she would be expected at the meeting.<p>

"Frida," she chimed, turning to one of her servants. "Would you mind joining me for a stroll into the city?"

The raven-haired servant looked up and nodded with a bright smile. "Of course, Anna. I'll arrange a guard detail – the Queen wouldn't forgive me if something happened to you. Shall I meet you at the front gates in fifteen minutes?"

"Sure thing. Thank you."

As the servant left, Anna was about to start collecting her belongings, but they were all handed to her by her other servants. They all smiled amiably as they pulled a fur cape around Anna's shoulders. This was definitely something she was never going to get used to. She had requested the servants call her _Anna_, rather than constantly being addressed as _Ms. Oaken, _but it still felt odd to have six servants around to see to her every whim.

At the front gates, Anna found Frida waiting patiently, three guards armed with halberds standing behind her. Together they strolled downhill, soon entering the city proper, in an amiable silence.

"May I ask you something, Anna?" the servant asked after a while.

Anna was taking in the Yule decorations in the harbour, but nodded in response nonetheless.

"Why does Queen Elsa take such an interest in you?"

"I..." Her mind drifted back to the tourney, then to the kiss, then even further back to the little outing in the ice garden, the reading in the library, the dinner when Anna first visited the capital city, Elsa's stay at Oaken Farm, even the intense gaze send her way on the village square, just when Elsa exited the carriage came back to mind. "I really don't know..."

And that was the truth. Mostly, at least. She wasn't going to tell Frida about the kiss they'd shared, or the top secret ice-business. But Elsa had already taken an interest in her _before_ those two events. And as much as Anna wanted Elsa to feel the way she felt, she really wasn't sure about it. But she'd decided to stop worrying, and just take it as it came.

"... don't you think?"

"Huh? Sorry, I must have zoned out. Could you... repeat?"

Frida giggled. "I was just saying I think it's kind of cute how Her Majesty dotes on you..."

Anna felt the blood rushing to her face, her eyes frantically searching for a way out of the conversation, and eventually settling on a quaint little bookstore. Without saying anything, she bustled off into the shop, Frida following close behind and the guards stationing themselves in front of the window.

The store was completely empty, save for Anna, Frida, and the old, withered man behind the counter. He smiled kindly, although he did look a little surprised to suddenly have people in his shop. Which, Anna thought, was odd, considering it was ten in the morning and the city was already bustling.

Frida had dropped her earlier line of inquiry, but now that she was here, Anna felt compelled to look through the bookshelves. She picked up several tomes containing fairytales and old folklore. After nearly ten minutes of browsing, her eye fell on a large, leather-bound volume – _Faerie Creatures_ printed on its cover. Anna slowly picked it up, fingering the yellowed pages carefully. It appeared to be a compendium of mythical creatures, containing detailed descriptions, histories and other minutia. But those almost seemed irrelevant when Anna's eyes landed on the images. _Maybe I could have Elsa make some of these_, she thought as a blush crept onto her cheeks again.

"Excuse me, sir? How much does this book cost?"

The man looked pensively. "Nine gold pieces, miss."

Anna bit her lower lip in worry. Taking a quick peek in her money pouch revealed that she _did_ actually have that amount of money. But to spend it on one book?

"But I'll sell it to a young mind like yours for seven."

_Sold!_

Anna nodded as she started shaking the gold coins out of her pouch. "Could you have it sent to the castle, perhaps? I wouldn't want it to damage in the snow..."

The man squinted his eyes slightly while taking out pen and paper. "What's your name, My Lady?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm not a lady! I'm Anna Oaken, a farmer from Hellmark?"

For a moment, the man's eyes went wide as saucers. He quickly ducked underneath his counter, and Anna listened to the rustling of paper until he returned to her view. "I see. I will deliver the book to the castle personally, Miss," he curtsied. _Why does everyone curtsy? I'm not a Lady!_ She dropped the coins onto the counter, but the man quickly pushed them back to her.

"No, no. It has already been paid for."

Anna furrowed her brow. "How can it be paid for? I only just decided to buy it, and I haven't paid?"

The old man smiled. "Well, then consider it a gift..."

They returned outside, the confused expression still plastered on Anna's face. Frida insisted she shouldn't worry about it, and practically dragged her to one of the market stalls. Anna took in the myriad of colours and accessories, varying from simple hair ribbons to shoelaces. After a while, she settled on a small bundle, containing green and blue hair ribbons. She handed it to the vendor, not noticing Frida standing behind her, waving her arms frantically.

Once the vendor nodded, and Anna turned around to see the reason, Frida had already returned to her normal, inhibited self. "How much do I owe you?" she asked the vendor.

"Nothing, Miss," followed by another curtsy. _What?_

"The sign says ten pieces of silver...?"

"The sign is outdated," the vendor smiled, violently pulling it down. "The ribbons are free."

With growing frustration, Anna and her trail sauntered down another street. A door opened and a bell ringed, causing Anna to turn her attention to her left. The rich scent of chocolate caused her nostrils to flare, and she unconsciously entered the little building.

As soon as she was inside, it became evident that this was a more high-end chocolate vendor, a rich collection of pastries, snacks and other sweets splayed out over several tables. The prices, however, were more staggering than the scent of chocolate that overwhelmed Anna.

"How can I help you, Miss...?"

"Oaken," Anna answered a tad morosely. "But these prices are a little outside my budget."

The vendor's smile grew as she took Anna's hand and led her to the counter. "No need to worry about finances, Miss. That has all been taken care of."

_Well, enough is enough..._ "How?"

The vendor seemed to pick up on Anna's somewhat indignant tone, as she reached for a little slip of paper and handed it to her.

_I, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, First of my Name, hereby decree that the following individuals, during the duration of the Yule Celebrations in Arendelle, shall have their wares provided for by the Crown: Princess Rapunzel of Corona, Princess Merida of DunBroch, Miss Anna Oaken of Hellmark._

_The expenses of any and all purchases made by these individuals shall be recorded, and directed towards the Steward of Arendelle Castle. The Crown will repay each debt before the end of the Yule Celebrations, and thanks the shopkeepers and vendors for their patience and cooperation._

A small smile grew across Anna's lips as she read the little note. _I should have known. Typically Elsa..._ She handed it back to the vendor, her attention already shifting. Suddenly, she browsed the chocolaty wares before her with renewed interest.

* * *

><p>Elsa sat in her throne, looking as the dozens of servants were preparing the table for the meeting, placing chairs, laying out the seating arrangement, and ensuring that drinks and snacks would be within everyone's reach. Elsa had arrived uncharacteristically early, a fact she chalked up to nerves. No matter what, this meeting was going to be an unpleasant one.<p>

She looked over the seating arrangement again, reading the tags placed on the large circular table. Hans on her immediate left – far away from his own family, as requested – and Rapunzel and Merida seated on the opposite side of the table, left and right across from her. Despite her station, Elsa wasn't entirely comfortable with large groups of people, and this arrangement would give her some faces to anchor onto.

The seat immediately left of her was reserved for Anna. Hopefully, that way the meeting would be a little less daunting for the bubbly redhead. Elsa felt bad for dragging her into this, but she didn't really have a choice.

Kai walked up to her, holding out a piece of paper. "What's this?" she asked, looking at the document between them.

"Ms. Oaken went into town earlier today. _This_ is the bill," the steward smiled congenially.

Elsa took the slip of paper and folded it open.

_The Paper Cut – 9 pieces of gold_

_Effany's hairwares – 10 pieces of silver_

_Arken's Chocolates – 39 pieces of gold_

_Helena's Accessories – 12 pieces of gold, 25 pieces of silver_

"See to it that it is all paid for, please?"

Kai nodded and hurried off again, leaving Elsa free to let her mind wander again. _39 pieces of gold indebted to a chocolate store? What did Anna do, buy the entire shop? If she ate all that, I'm going to have the servants fetch a larger seat for her..._

"Elsa! We have important business to discuss with you?" A voice sung behind her throne.

"I know, that's why I called this meeting," Elsa smiled wryly, watching Rapunzel and Merida enter her vision.

"This bloody war can wait, lass," Merida scoffed. "We have actual _important_ business we need to discuss."

Elsa sat up in her throne, leaning forward eagerly. Merida and Rapunzel both looked frighteningly serious. Solemn, even. _More sorcery? Another foreign threat? Oh by Odin and Freya, don't tell me something happened to Anna!_

"It's about Anna," Rapunzel started, as if reading Elsa's mind. The young queen felt her stomach lurch and her heart suddenly jumping into her throat.

Merida crossed her arms, blowing a strand of hair from her face. "Why aren't the two of you engaged yet?"

"What?" Well, that certainly wasn't what Elsa had expected. She shot the two women an angry look. "You had me worried!"

Rapunzel shrugged, half apologetically. "_You_ have _us_ worried."

"And why's that?"

"You're courting the lass, you big oaf! Are ye even taking this seriously?"

"I am, but things aren't as simple as-"

"You _kissed!"_

Elsa shook her head dismissively. "It was just a mistletoe kiss. Mistletoe kisses don't mean anything."

Rapunzel's eyes grew wide as saucers, while Merida actually cursed under her breath.

"Of course your kiss meant something, you _dunce_. Are you completely out of your mind?" Merida almost shouted, being shushed by Rapunzel and Elsa both.

Rapunzel, always the more reasonable of the two, took Elsa's hand. "Elsa. You told us Anna practically challenged you to kiss her right?" Elsa answered with a mute nod, fearing Rapunzel's next words. "That means she _really _wanted it. She wouldn't have taken such a risk just for fun. You're the Queen, and she's a farmer! The fact you actually did kiss her must have struck her as odd, and you can't expect her to pursue it! Your kiss probably gave her hope, but you have to actively work on this, Elsa!"

Elsa clasped her hands over her face. "This is all so confusing," she muttered, ensuring that her hands muffled the sound enough to be inaudible. Merida's ears, however, were trained enough to make out the words.

"Aye, it is. That's why we're here for ye, aye? Just go and hang out with her. Surely you've talked about the kiss?"

"Well... no?"

"No?!" This time it was Rapunzel who was incredulous. "Elsa! What were you thinking? You can't kiss someone and NOT talk about it! What must Anna be thinking?"

"I... How should I know?"

"_Exactly._ That is why you need to TALK about this!" Merida nearly yelled, pulling strands of her fiery red mane.

Rapunzel shook her head slightly, eyeing Anna as she sauntered into the large room. "Apparently we have a lot more work to do, Mer," she muttered, slinking away as Anna walked up to them.

Now relieved of the two princesses, Elsa gave Anna a small wave, motioning to the chair besides her. "Hey. This is your seat... Did you... enjoy your morning?" Her eye fell to the brooch attached to her dress, a simple silver pin sporting Arendelle's signature crocus and snowflake. Anna followed her gaze.

"Oh, yeah. I went shopping! They told me you paid for everything, so I... may have indulged myself a little."

"In chocolate, mostly, I believe..." Elsa replied with a reserved grin, which grew even wider as Anna started blushing. "It's alright, don't worry. Although, I am curious how you can spend that much gold on chocolate..."

"So," Anna spoke, stretching the syllable for several seconds. "What were you and Rapunzel and Merida talking about? Looked pretty intense..."

Elsa was immediately thrown off by the unexpected question, not even taking note of the sudden change of subject. "Uh... It was just... Nothing really. Not important."

A flash of concern shot across Anna's face, but before she could inquire any further, Hans plopped down in the chair on her other side, sighing theatrically. Elsa wasn't certain she'd ever been happier about an interruption.

"I take it your talk with your family did not go as planned?" Elsa asked, looking at Hans' scowl.

"Indeed, it did not. It went... as expected, I suppose."

Elsa nodded pensively, watching as other royals and high nobles took their seats. "Shame..."

Elsa let her eyes slide across the occupants of the table. It was an impressive gathering, to say the least. _She_ certainly had never gathered such a high-born group before, and she was quite certain her father hadn't either. Then again, even the history books had trouble remembering Arendelle's last war.

Immediately on her right was Hans, Prince of the Southern Isles. Next to him were Belle and Adam, the King and Queen of France. They were flanked by the Duke of Weselton. Next to the duke sat two princes of the Emerald Isles, the Princess of Foxcliff, the King and Queen of Corona, joined by Princess Rapunzel and Prince-Consort Eugene. Next to her friends were the royalty of Denmark, Ariel and Eric, Princes Edmund and Edward of the Southern Isles with their father Wulfgar, Merida and her parents, next two whom were the royal families of Adylla, Galinnon and Mardored. And then, finally, there was Anna, the odd one out.

And everyone was staring at Elsa. _Of course they are. This is my kingdom, after all. And I called this meeting. And most of them don't even know why..._

"Welcome, everyone. And thank you for attending this meeting, despite the Yule celebrations. I hate to darken our moods, but the subject matter of this meeting simply does not allow for leniency. See, we are all gathered here today to discuss war."

As was to be expected, the table erupted into a raucous chattering and mumbling at Elsa's final word. Corona and DunBroch were the only ones that did not appear surprised. Then again, Elsa had personally seen to that already. _Wouldn't want to blindside my friends..._

Anna, however, swung her head around to Elsa, looking at her with an expression that betrayed confusion, horror and worry. Underneath the table, Elsa reached out and placed her hand on Anna's leg in a gesture of reassurance. Anna, apparently not expecting such a thing, nearly jumped out of her chair, painfully slamming Elsa's hand between her knee and the underside of the table.

_Thank goodness everyone is too distracted to have caught that_, Elsa mused silently. Anna shot her an apologetic look, and Elsa merely smiled to indicate that no harm was done.

_Damn, that hurt..._

After a few minutes, everyone seemed to silence again. Everyone, except for King Wulfgar of the Southern Isles. "Are you declaring war?"

"No, of course not. The threat does not come from Arendelle, or any other nation, kingdom or duchy represented in this room. The threat comes from the north, beyond the mountains. Apparently, the Onyx Tower has been occupied..."

Some gasped or covered their mouths, but most of the occupants of the table merely looked confused. _To be expected..._

"For everyone who does not know him yet, this is Prince Hans. He's my..."

"Brother," Hans supplied handily as he got up.

"Adopted..." Elsa added, almost smiling.

"And spymaster," Hans immediately followed up.

"That too, yes," Elsa couldn't contain her smile now. "He will fill you all in on the details."

Elsa sat down again, content to let Hans do most of the talking for the time being.

"The Onyx Tower is... a tower," Hans started. "It's located in Shadowacre, far to the north. Legend has it that it used to be the dwelling of a dark sorcerer hell bent on world domination. While I'm not certain that is true – I do know that it is, at this very moment, the dwelling of a dark sorceress, hell bent on world domination."

There was a slight pause before Hans continued. "A little over a year ago, we started receiving rapports about strange events taking place in Shadowacre – a kingdom that has always been rather solitary. At first, we thought nothing of it, they did not bother us, so we did not bother them. Then we started receiving reports that armies were massing, and advancing into Blackmeadow, Estershade and Fogmount. While this was... concerning, to say the least, we decided to remain impassive. Arendelle had nothing to do with those kingdoms, so there was no need for us to interfere. With Queen Elsa's permission, I sent out several of my informants. Not long thereafter, Shadehall and Greybell were also conquered."

Everyone seemed disturbed by Hans' summary of past events, hanging on his every word. "My informants returned to me with the oddest of tales. Someone had unlocked Onyx Tower, taken up residence in the – allegedly – cursed abode, and now commanded the armies of six kingdoms. A _single_ someone. Naturally, this required investigation. Later still we were told that this someone did not gain all that power naturally. My informants whispered many things, but no one had been able to come close to the mysterious monarch, so the truth remained shrouded. Magic, some told me. A demon, others said. Some even went so far as to tell me that it was a God. I would have discarded each and every one of these stories, had I not lived in the same castle as the Mistress of Ice and Snow."

Hans beckoned the Elsa at the mention, before continuing. "One of my best spies returned to me then, with more answers than I – we – could have hoped for. We were not facing a god or demon. No, our quarrel was with a _girl_. Violet Yuwin, the seventeen year old daughter of a seamstress and a lumberjack."

All eyes were now on Hans, some concerned, some amused, some displaying plain disbelief or even annoyance. Finally, Hans' father started laughing. "Surely you don't expect us to believe a girl can command an army?"

Hans glowered at the king, who stared back into his eyes. However, when he noticed many other pairs glowering at him as well – kings and queens of empires more powerful than his own, he settled back down. Hans smiled acidly. "No god or demon, evidently. But there was certainly magic at play in the Onyx Tower..."

Another pause. Elsa wasn't sure whether it was for dramatic effect or for Hans to gather his thoughts. "Violet Yuwin is apparently a gifted individual. According to our intelligence, she commands a form of magic as of yet unknown to us. If my spies are to be believed, it manifests itself in the form of a dark mist, or perhaps black smoke. What it does, we do not quite know, but it allows her to command multiple kingdoms, and slowly but surely, she is making her way to Arendelle. Now, can anyone tell me what the Northern Kingdoms call Arendelle?"

It remained eerily silent. Finally, Rapunzel was the one to break it. "The key to the south."

"Exactly," Hans smiled. "Care to explain?"

Rapunzel nodded, gathering her wits. "Well, the Northern Kingdoms are separated from the Southern Kingdoms by the mountains. The only passage through said mountains, as far as we know, is on the northern border of Arendelle. If anyone from the north wishes to get to any kingdom in the south, say, Corona, or France, or even the Southern Isles, they need to pass through Arendelle, right?"

Hans nodded, but didn't get a chance to respond verbally before someone else piped in. "Rubbish!" the voice of the Duke of Weselton squeaked. "They could come by sea!"

The Queen of Denmark, Ariel, immediately cut him off. "Not likely. The seas up there are frozen for ten out of twelve months. And I mean totally frozen, not just ice here and there. The other two months, they're plagued by storms so fierce, no ship would be mad or sturdy enough to get through."

Hans nodded again. "True. So, one way or another, they're coming to Arendelle. In fact, for all we know, they may _already_ be here in some capacity. I'm certain you have all heard of the recent statue-debacle. Magic is an extremely rare occurrence – and Queen Elsa is... I need to rephrase that..." Here Hans suddenly seemed confused, looking at Elsa, then to Anna, and back to Elsa again. "I was going to say that Queen Elsa was the only one in Arendelle with magic – and both the former king and queen, as well as Queen Elsa and myself, have done extensive searches to prove try and prove opposite – but this has recently been... complicated. Regardless, Queen Elsa is the only one with expressive powers, and we are absolutely certain that there is no one in Arendelle that can bring statues to life."

More muttering around the table as Hans retook his seat and Elsa rose from hers, after which everyone silenced again. "Now... we know war is coming to Arendelle. Thus, we turn to our allies for support. Speak up now, will you stand with Arendelle, or will you fail her when she needs you most?"

Rapunzel was the first to get to her feet, her parents and husband immediately following. "As always, Corona will stand by Arendelle's side," she spoke, her voice clear and determined. Elsa nodded in thanks, watching as Merida and her parents also stood. "DunBroch never turns down a good fight," Merida laughed, resulting in a scowl and a nudge from her mother. "What _Princess_ Merida means to say is that Arendelle has DunBroch's full support."

Belle was the next one to rise. "You can count on France to have your back. Good friends are hard to find..."

Ariel and Eric also got to their feet. "The alliance between our kingdoms is young and fragile," they started off, "but we will do whatever we can to allow it to grow stronger. Denmark will side with Arendelle in this matter."

The Emerald Isles, Adylla and Mardored were also quick to declare their support to Arendelle. Elsa turned her attention to the only one who still remained seated. The King of Galinnon slowly rose. "Much as I sympathise with Arendelle's predicament, Galinnon is still recovering from its recent civil war. We can spend small quantities of supplies, but I fear that is as far as our involvement can go."

"Arendelle is grateful for the support nonetheless," Elsa nodded, turning her attention to the Southern Isles family.

"Absolutely not!" the king bellowed. "I can't believe you're all falling for these fairytales! I doubt there is a threat, and even if there is one, the Southern Isles will deal with them when it serves _our_ gains. We will not follow a child queen into a war with an imaginary witch of the north! Preposterous!"

The Duke of Weselton immediately jumped up. "Agreed! Preposterous!"

Elsa nodded slowly. "Very well. In that case, you are excused. I expect you to have left my kingdom before nightfall."

"What?" they all asked in unison.

Elsa cocked her head to the side. "Arendelle will not spend precious resources entertaining men who will not come to her support in the darkest of times. Consider yourselves lucky the sanctions are not more severe – you did insult me, after all."

"_Insult you?_" the king replied, his voice venomous. "You've insulted us! All of us!"

Elsa merely cocked an eyebrow. She didn't feign it – she really had no idea what he was talking about. The king, however, pointed to Anna. "A farmer! You want us to celebrate Yule with a wretched _commoner?_ Giving her a room amongst _royalty_? Surely you can't expect us to take you seriously if you have her joining a war council!?"

"Ms. Oaken has a perfectly valid reason to be here. If you had declared your support to Arendelle, you would have been allowed to remain in this room and discover so for yourself. Since you didn't, I'm kindly requesting you to leave."

"Just because she's your little concubine doesn't mean you can have the whor-"

The king never got a chance to finish his sentence as frost suddenly shot towards him over the table. A sharp spike of jagged ice grew from the tabletop towards his throat, coming to rest precisely underneath his chin, where it suddenly stopped. "I _dare_ you to finish that sentence," Elsa growled. She knew she shouldn't be doing this. She shouldn't be responding this violently. She shouldn't be acting this rashly. The Southern Isles might declare war on Arendelle just for this action. But he insulted Anna, and Elsa just didn't care about anything else.

The king merely bristled. The icy spike pushed into his chin a little further, nicking the skin and drawing a single drop of blood. Everyone stood entirely motionless as King Wulfgar and Queen Elsa continued staring each other down. Elsa only pulled her eyes away when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. _Anna's hand._ Anna shook her head from left to right slightly, not moving her hand. "He isn't worth it, Your Majesty."

Elsa had to do a double take, because it sounded so odd to hear Anna calling her by her title, rather than her name. Only then did she realise that they were still in a room full of people. Foreign dignitaries, no less. She nodded to Anna, retracting her ice. It dissipated in a puff of steam. "Consider yourself lucky. This time..." Elsa glowered. "Guards, please see to it that Weselton and the Southern Isles have a ... smooth and swift departure."

Everyone kept staring at the large double doors, even after they had closed again. Eventually, the only one still sitting rose, drawing their attention back to the meeting. "The Foxcliff military is at your command, My Queen," the only remaining princess curtsied.

"Good," Elsa replied, calling herself back to attention. "We can discuss the precise form of your support individually at a later time," she continued, addressing the entire group. "For now, I think we should just... touch upon the subject of magic – which is also the reason for Ms. Oaken's presence, in case anyone else was wondering about that. I know some of you are not wholly unfamiliar with certain forms of magic..." She shot brief glances to Corona and DunBroch, as well as France and Denmark. "But, in light of our current predicament, I feel we need to discuss it."

On this everyone seemed to agree. "As Prince Hans explained, we are not entirely sure of the effects of the magic within Lady Yuwin, that's what she wishes to be addressed as."

Queen Elinor immediately responded. "That's going to be a big problem. You can't win a war without knowing what you're fighting."

"Well," Belle chimed in. "Apparently it brings statues to life."

"Doubtful," Rapunzel's father rebuked. "I doubt the leader of this huge empire just... travelled into Arendelle and bewitched a few statues."

Belle nodded. "Oversight on my part..."

"Mind control."

Everyone suddenly turned towards Anna, Elsa included. For a moment, the poor girl looked as if she wanted to melt away, but she continued talking nonetheless. "She would need some form of control over others, right? I don't see how else she could have gained so much support..."

Everyone seemed to think about that, several people nodding. "Well, it's a start," Rapunzel smiled. "I guess we'll just take it from there?"

"I see why you wanted her present, Elsa," Belle added, raising her eyebrows slightly.

"Yes, well... This was not the reason," Elsa smiled. "Anna seems to... have a strange connection to _my_ magic. That's why I wanted her to be present today. Somehow, she makes my magic... stronger. More controlled as well."

"How?" Elinor asked straight away.

"We don't know..."

"Can your magic be used in this war?" the Princess of Foxcliff asked, almost desperately.

Elsa looked over to Anna. "With Anna's help... I think so." She held out a hand, creating a rabbit on the table. She gently pressed her index finger to its head, after which it started running. It fell off the table, turned around, ran underneath it, and slammed against the wall as it seemingly forgot to brake. "That's how it was..." she muttered, before creating a new rabbit. Anna, immediately taking the hint, stroked its back one time.

The rabbit turned towards her and nuzzled into her hand, before hopping off, jumping into Rapunzel's lap. "Ahh... He's so cute! Can I keep him?"

"She," Elsa corrected her.

"Her," Anna corrected at the same time.

The entire table shared a laugh at that, especially as Anna and Elsa both started to blush slightly. After a while, Corin, Rapunzel's father, got to his feet.

"With all due respect, Elsa... I think we need to know more about your magic, and this connection, before we rely on it fully. We do not know the source of your magic. And we know even less about Miss Oaken's effect on it. Is it something personal between the two of you? Does she possess a magic of her own? These are blanks we need to fill in if we want to use your ice effectively..."

Elsa nodded. "Agreed. But how do we learn?"

Hans cleared his throat. "If there are no objections, I can gather all the experts and mystics I can find?"

That seemed to work for everyone. After a few more remarks, Elsa decided that they had done enough for one day. She thanked everyone for their attendance and support, and everyone slowly started filing out.

Eventually, only Hans, Elsa and Anna remained in the large room. "Well, that went... better than expected," Elsa muttered to the ceiling.

"Much," Hans chuckled. "Thanks for banishing my father. He had it coming."

Elsa's eyes grew a little wider, and she quickly turned to Anna. "Anna! Thank you... for stopping me. I'm not really sure what came over me, nor am I sure of what I might have done if you hadn't..."

"It's alright," Anna smiled back, looking at her with a bright glow in her eyes. "You defended me... Ferociously, I could add... But everything is okay now..."

Hans got up and stretched his back. "Well, Your Majesty, Your Highness," he smiled, curtsying to Elsa and Anna both. "If you would excuse me, I'm off to round up all the mystic and magic experts I can find."

Anna stared after him, eyes confused and brow furrowed. "Why did he call me highness? Isn't that a title reserved for..."

"Princes and Princesses, yes," Elsa muttered softly, not offering a further explanation as she glared at Hans' retreating form. "Princess-Consort too..."

"Princess-Consort?" Anna asked, clearly not able of following the conversation, or Elsa's line of thinking.

_Oh dear... How am I going to...?_

"Yes... That's what you would be if we would... get married."

"...get married."

Anna's brain instantly went into overload, utterly unprepared and incapable of processing Elsa's words. She was very grateful for the fact that Elsa looked as shocked as she felt, at least that convinced her that she hadn't misheard what she thought she had just heard.

"..."

Anna tried to form a sentence, but random words flitted across her brain, refusing to stay in place, and apparently not willing to line up in a sentence that would make any kind of sense. She tried again, and again, only vaguely aware that her lower jaw remained unhinged.

"... aiming at, but we should probably-"

_Wait. No no no. Elsa's talking. Brain! Pay attention. Need to absorb this. Important._

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

Anna was eternally grateful for the fact that Elsa did not look annoyed or even bothered when Anna, rather blatantly, revealed she hadn't been present mentally. She just took a deep breath.

"I was saying that Hans and-"

"Your Majesty!" The doors to the meeting room opened with a loud creak, causing both him to physically flinch when Kai walked in. Anna had to give the Queen credit where it was due – she recovered from the entire situation remarkably quickly.

"Yes, Kai?"

Kai, somewhat taken aback by the cold and sharp edges of Elsa's voice wavered for a moment. "Your... guests have arrived, Your Majesty."

"Of course. Uhm, show them in?"

Kai ushered two people into the room, and had Anna been capable of closing her mouth, it would simply have fallen to the floor again when her father and brother walked in.

"Father? Kristoff? What are you-"

She was already running towards them before she realised she had gotten up from her seat, wrapping the two men in as big a bear hug as she could muster with her tiny frame.

"I asked them to come over for two days," Elsa spoke softly from behind. "I didn't feel comfortable making you choose between your family and me for Yule. They'll be attending the banquet tomorrow as well."

Anna released her family, pivoted around and wrapped her arms around Elsa this time. She was only vaguely aware of the shocked gasps her family produced behind her. She was much more aware of Elsa suddenly tensing up as if she were electrified.

_Then again, some people aren't prepared for bear hugs every moment of the day..._

"I also have some... business with your father," Elsa added demurely.

Anna shot her a questioning glance as she released the Queen – more out of necessity than want – and stepped back. "Oh?"

"Nothing to worry about... Not yet, at least," Elsa smiled. It was odd, Anna thought, how easily Elsa's smile could appease her.

"Welcome to the castle. I assume Gerda has shown you your rooms and taken care of your needs?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Kristoff curtsied.

"Good," Elsa nodded approvingly. "Mr. Oaken, would you be so kind as to follow me to my study? I'd like to get this out of the way as soon as possible so you can spend your time with Anna..." Asger nodded, but Elsa wavered for a moment. "Anna, shall we... continue this conversation at a later time?"

The entire mess that their conversation had been – _Geez, were we really just talking about marriage? To each other?! – _had almost slipped Anna's mind, but quickly came flooding back, causing her blush to return at an equal pace.

"Yes... Please..."

Elsa nodded, smiled, and then whisked her father away. Anna bashfully looked at Kristoff, who grinned at her with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "So, how's the little princess doing in the big castle?"

Anna scoffed. "I'm great... but uh... why are you here?"

Kristoff scratched the back of his head as he followed Anna to the gardens. "Well, father got a letter from the Queen... Wait, I think I've got it right here..." He started patting the many pockets on his outfit. "Apparently, the Queen had something to discuss with dad... about you."

"About me?!" _This day cannot possibly get any weirder. Free shopping spree, war council, marriage talk with the Queen, mystery meeting about me?_

"Ah, here it is!" Kristoff handed her a slip of high-quality parchment, the blue wax of Elsa's snowflake-seal broken. "Read it. It's the best answer I can get you..."

_Dear Mr. Oaken,_

_I am not certain whether Anna has written to you or not, but in case the latter is the case: she arrived at Arendelle Castle safely on the evening of her departure from Hellmark, and the journey was uneventful. She now remains in good health._

_I feel guilty about taking her away from you and your son during Yule, and thus have decided on breaking with several more regulations and requesting your presence during the Yule Banquet, three days from now (see the attached invitation for further details). I'm certain Anna would enjoy spending time with you, this holiday is after all meant for family as well as friends. _

_There is also another matter I'd like to discuss with you, concerning your daughter. I am hesitant to entrust the details of this matter to paper – which, after all, is privy to encroaching eyes when not handled properly – and would prefer to discuss it in person. Rest assured that nothing is amiss, and there is no need to worry about Anna personally, her reputation, or that of your family. I fear, for now, that is all the information I can relay._

_Signed,_

_Queen Elsa of Arendelle_

"What the..." Anna muttered to herself as she folded the letter again. Without paying attention, Anna's feet had brought her to Elsa's ice garden, and Kristoff now stood in the middle of the sculptures, admiring them. She watched as he reached out to press a finger against the wing of a hawk, immediately withdrawing it with a sharp hiss.

"Wauw that's cold..."

Anna smiled a soft, albeit somewhat troubled, smile, laying her hand on its beak. She didn't notice Kristoff's amazed look, totally absorbed in her own thoughts and the feeling of Elsa's magic running through her body. "Not that cold... Not that cold at all..."

* * *

><p><strong>So, subtlety is definitely out of the window at this point. Anyway, thank you all for your amazing support. My muscles are still sore from all the happy-dances, but I'm ready for a new round of dancing! :) So, PLEASE, let me know what you think, and help me be as good a writer as I can be!<strong>

** Also, a little shameless advertising for myself: I recently published a new Elsanna story under the title "Unwavering Affections" sooooo... If you're a fan of my writing, it might be worth your time to check it out. Just saying... :3**


	10. Chapter 10

Anna was having the time of her life. She had enjoyed breakfast with her father and brother, after which she had shown them around the castle. She had grinned at the amazement her family displayed towards all Anna's servants, and the general respect everyone seemed to have for her. It had become even better when Belle, the queen of France, had encountered them in one of the corridors and casually struck up a conversation with her. At that point, Anna thought that their heads just might have exploded if she kept adding to it.

Hence Anna's utter glee when they encountered Rapunzel and Merida, who interacted with her as if they were old friends – something that didn't even strike Anna as odd anymore – causing Asger and Kristoff to shoot each other odd glances. Once they took their leave from the princesses, Kristoff scratched the back of his head, following Anna through the castles gate.

"So... you really are some sort of a princess now, then? He chuckled with an amused glint in his eyes.

"No... Why do you say that?"

"Well... In the span of half an hour, you had cosy little chats with Queen Belle of France, Princess Rapunzel of Corona and Princess Merida of DunBroch... Don't tell me you don't find that at least _a little _odd?"

Anna considered that for a while as they walked towards the city. "Well, I used to... But not anymore, really. Elsa's been nothing but great to me... All the others too, really. Except for the King of the Southern Isles... and... well, I suppose Elsa more or less kicked him out of Arendelle after threatening his life..."

Asger and Kristoff looked at each other, raising their brows behind Anna's back. "Well, here we are!" Anna beckoned to the many quaint shops lining the main road. "We can go anywhere you want, and I can buy you anything you want! And we won't even have to pay!"

Before Kristoff could ask anything, Anna answered the unspoken question. "Another perk of being close to Els- Queen Elsa..." Kristoff's eyes lit up, and he immediately dashed into a store for fresh vegetables, wanting to buy a supply of carrots for Sven. Anna followed him inside, and waited for him to scour through the many, many carrots – apparently not all carrots were equal.

"So, papa," she started while watching her brother's legs dangling just above the ground, his upper body completely engrossed in the carrots. "What did you and Elsa have to discuss about me?"

Asger suddenly looked incredibly uncomfortable. It was a strange sight, especially for a man as big as he was. "Nothing, Anna. Just business about the farm, ya?"

"Nope. Kristoff showed me the letter, so I know that's not true."

Asger shot his son an accusing glance, despite him being unable to actually see it. "The queen has asked me not to disclose the information to you. She wanted to discuss it with you personally, hm?"

"Is it about the war?"

"War?"

"No. No war. Nothing. Never mind." _Well so much for secrecy. That's exactly why no one ever invites me to top secret meetings._

Luckily, Asger seemed to understand the precarious situation Anna now found herself in, and he merely smiled and shook his head fondly. "No, that's not what we talked about, Anna. Just... wait for Queen Elsa to talk to you, ya?"

"Aww, come on, Papa... Can't you just tell me? I promise to act surprised when Elsa brings it up."

Her father looked unusually hesitant, and refused to answer. Anna decided to drop the subject, at least for the time being, hoping that Elsa would approach her soon. Very soon.

They continued their shopping spree, with Anna continuously encouraging her family to keep buying whatever they wanted – after all, if Elsa was mad enough to pay for everything, Anna fully intended to make use of that – but eventually Asger insisted on returning to the castle. Checking the time, Anna realised that the banquet would start in a few hours.

As they reached the main gates, Anna was stopped by a man carrying a notebook and a pencil. She waved her father and brother to go on, and two of the five guards that had tailed them throughout town followed them. The other three were busy keeping the man away from Anna, but she nodded to indicate she could talk to him.

"Ms. Oaken, such an immense pleasure to meet you!" he smiled, nearly grovelling at her feet. "I'm a reporter for the Arendelle Times, I'm sure you're familiar with it."

Well, Anna _had_ read that newspaper. Maybe twice in her entire life, but yes, she figured that was enough to be 'familiar' with it.

"I'd like to ask you a few questions for an article I'm writing."

"Uhm, I'm not sure if-"

"Are you and Queen Elsa romantically involved?" he immediately fired, all of his earlier timid behaviour suddenly gone.

"What? No!"

"Has Queen Elsa indicated in any way that she's interested in you in a romantic way?"

"Why would you-"

"Has Queen Elsa made any advanced towards you, Miss Oaken?"

"I don't even-"

The reporter continued firing questions at her, and Anna felt that whatever she said would be turned into an incriminating story – even if the reporter didn't indicate even _hearing_ her answers. Soon enough, Anna realised that he was merely looking for a way to slander Elsa. Without a second though, she turned around and gestured towards the guards.

"We're done. Get him out of here," she commanded with a voice that she didn't quite recognise. One of the guards stepped forward and dragged the incessant reporter away, while the other two escorted Anna inside.

"Permission to speak, Miss?" the elder of the two asked as they marched through the corridors towards the royal wing.

"Uh-huh, sure."

"You handled that situation well."

"He was just looking for an excuse to slander the queen, and I'm not going to let that happen," Anna replied casually.

The guard nodded. "Well, whatever there is between you and Queen Elsa is entirely your own business. I hope I'm not overstepping any boundaries here, but you two seem to like each other a lot and... I probably shouldn't say this..."

"No, please go on."

"You seem to make the queen happy," the guard muttered. "And she seems to make you happy. I don't want to imply anything, but..."

Anna knew very well what he was implying. It was somewhat concerning that people were starting to pick up on this..._thing_ that was going on between her and Elsa. And the worst part was that she didn't even know what this _thing_ was exactly. The only way to find out was talking to Elsa... and with her being the queen and all busy and secretive, that was proving a little difficult. Then again, she had promised that they'd continue their conversation... The one about marriage and titles and utter confusion on Anna's part.

Anna barely realised they had reached her chambers. She turned towards the guard behind her, who now had an uncertain look on his face. "What's your name and rank?"

The man immediately fell to one knee. "Commander Orvik, Miss."

Anna stifled a giggle. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble," she smiled, looking at the worried look on his face. "Just curiosity."

"Of course, Miss."

Anna was welcomed into her chambers by her servants, who were busy cleaning and preparing her outfit for the banquet later that day. She walked over to the writing desk in the corner, and immediately drew out a piece of parchment, starting to write a short note.

_Dear Elsa,_

_I just thought you might like to know I was approached by a reporter from the Arendelle Times near the castle gates. He asked a lot of questions about the two of us being romantically involved (preposterous, right?!). I didn't actually give him any answers, but I don't think that's going to keep him from writing something harmful or indecent._

_Also, you promised me a talk. I don't want to be rude or pushy, but it's getting awfully secretive. You know, with you and father discussing something about me and all?_

_-Anna_

She folded it, sealed it with her fancy griffin-seal, and asked one of the servants to deliver it to Elsa immediately. Naturally, they acted in a perfect display of obedience. Only a mere moment after the door had closed behind the servant, a sturdy knock called for her attention. As usual, one of the servants opened the door for Anna, sampling who was outside.

"Anna? Prince-Consort Eugene of Corona wishes to speak to you. Shall I let him in?"

_Well, duh._

"Yes, please."

Eugene, dressed in a crisp-white suit, stepped into her chambers. Anna immediately rose to curtsy, knowing that was the right thing to do in front of someone who's status – clearly – outranked your own. Eugene, however, just waved his hand in distaste.

"No need for all that stuffiness. I'm just a lowborn man. True, I happened to marry the most beautiful princess ever, but that's beside the point. Can we talk? Without all these additional ears?"

"You can all take a thirty-minute break," Anna told her servants, who immediately left the room. "Better?"

"Much."

"So, what's this about?"

Eugene looked a little uncomfortable. "Well, it's about you. And Queen Elsa. At first I didn't really want to get involved, since it's none of my business, really. But Rapunzel... you know how she is. She was very adamant, and I suppose she's kind of right."

"Right in what?"

"Well, I may be the most suitable to understand your situation."

"My situation?"

Eugene looked at Anna with scepticism plain on his face. After staring Anna down for a while, however, it seemed to dawn on him that Anna really had no idea what he was talking about.

"I was a thief in Corona. A commoner, like you. And... I married a princess. Which was really weird and sort of against the law – I think? – but still okay because I brought her back home after a long time and everyone was grateful and all. Oh, and we were in love, which also helped build our case. Anyway. I know what it's like, is what I mean to say."

"What?"

"Anna. You're in love with Elsa."

Anna's first instinct was to deny it. But really, why would she? Seeing as everyone apparently already made up their minds...

"Is it that obvious?"

Eugene smirked. "Did you know that there is actually a bet going on? About how long it will take for you and Elsa to get engaged? Merida, Rapunzel, Adam and Belle, Ariel and I are all in on it. Some others too, I think. Even the guards are talking about it. The maids. The cooks. It's pretty much the only thing people are talking about this Yule, yet you and Elsa seem to be the only ones who aren't in on it."

Anna sighed. "I know that _I_ am in love with Elsa. I do. Really. But I'm just a farmer, and Elsa's the _Queen_."

Eugene smiled. "I was a _thief_ and Rapunzel was the _Princess_. It still worked out though. I admit, it's a little weird for me, being this Prince-Consort thing and all, but really. It's kind of awesome. Anyway, just saying, don't let titles get in the way of your... love. I don't know Elsa very well, really. But... she doesn't strike me like the person who's just going to take the leap. So maybe you may need to nudge her a little, every now and then?"

Anna nodded, still deep in thought. "Thank you. I think. Can you keep a secret?"

"You're very welcome. And I think I'm obliged to, even if I didn't want to," Eugene said with an exaggerated curtsy.

"Elsa and I kissed. After the first Yule ball... But it was only because of the mistletoe!"

Eugene smiled. "Mistletoe is an outdated tradition. If Elsa kissed you, it was probably because she _wanted_ to. Just food for thought... I should take my leave now, so that Princess-Consort Anna can prepare for the banquet."

Anna, momentarily forgetting her station, swatted his arm. Eugene's frame was sturdier than hers though, and it merely elicited a broad grin on his face. "Don't call me that!"

"Why not? It sounds nice!"

"Just get out..."

"As you wish, Your Highness."

He was out of the door before Anna even got the chance to shoot a glare his way.

* * *

><p>Elsa was sitting in her throne, the Grand Council gathered around the table in front of her. They looked rather peeved about being called in for business during the Yule celebrations, especially since they <em>should<em> be preparing for the banquet. Then again, Elsa though, no preparations would hide their stuffy, dusty personalities.

"Gentlemen, let's keep this meeting short, shall we?" she started, using what Anna had dubbed her 'Queen Voice' to indicate that it wasn't actually a question. "I've been reviewing a few of our laws, and come to the conclusion that they are hopelessly outdated. I wrote up a document revising three of our laws – the first one being the most important."

Everyone turned their attention to the documents Kai had passed around. "As you can see, the first law I wish to revise is in regards to marriage. Arendelle is one of the few kingdoms not supporting same-sex marriages yet, and frankly it's just plain ignorant to keep this law in effect. Any complaints?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. _Score one for me._ "Good, please sign at the indicated paragraph." The scratching of quills filled the air for a few seconds, after which everyone turned their attention back to her. "Now, if you've read on, you see that the next law I wish to revise deals with economical sanctions. As it is now, if a businessman, or anyone really, earns more than a certain amount of money, their tax payments rise significantly. I've done some calculations and come to the conclusion that earning _less_ is actually more profitable than earning more and paying the enforced taxes. I suggest a standardization of tax percentages for several income-scales, in which the Crown gets the money it needs, but people don't feel cheated. Specific tax percentages and income-scales can be discussed at a later opportunity."

There was some minor discussion, but there was considerably less dissent than Elsa had expected. _Good, score two for me. Now for the grand finale_.

"Please sign the indicated paragraph, and then we can move on to the final revision."

Again, the scratching of quills occupied the room. This time, however, she noticed the frowns appearing on the men's faces as they read on. "As indicated by your facial features, you've already read the next revision I wanted to pursue. This is a... personal matter, as you can see. Some weeks prior, we already discussed the fact that I refuse to marry a foreign prince or king or other noble just for the sake of forging an alliance. I still stand by that decision. Now, naturally, none of you can force me to marry anyone against my will. However, it is also not the case that I can marry anyone I like. And that... needs to change."

"Your Majesty, all due respect... if we sign for this revision, you will be able to marry _anyone_."

"That's exactly the point, councilman."

"Even commoners?"

"If you've read the clause properly, you'd have seen that the answer is yes. However, as the clause clearly states, any commoner entering a marital bond with a royal or a noble would automatically become nobility themselves, as would their entire house. While I said this was a personal matter, it does not involve _only_ me. It would be for the benefit of other nobility in Arendelle as well. After all, we do not choose who we love, do we?"

"My Queen, I mean no disrespect, but does this-"

He was interrupted when Kai shuffled to her side, handing her three slips of paper. Two were sealed with a golden sun. _Rapunzel. Not too urgent, they can wait until after this meeting._ The third letter was sealed with a red griffin. Without thinking, Elsa opened the letter and read it. _I suppose I should have expected rumours to spread. That's what I get for bringing a commoner to Yule..._

She nodded to Kai before returning her attention to the council. "Apologies, gentlemen. Please, continue."

"My Queen, as I was saying, I mean absolutely no disrespect, but does this revision, by any chance, have anything to do with Miss Oaken?"

Elsa brought a smile to her face. Not her usual political smile. And far from her true, honest smile. This was more of a challenging, mocking smile. "I really don't see how that is any of your business, councilman. As I made clear before, I will choose my husband – or wife, if I feel so inclined – myself. Whether that be Miss Oaken or Prince What-is-his-name from Wherever-it-is is none of your concern."

"Queen Elsa, the motion has not yet been signed."

"I know," Elsa spoke, her voice hard and her smile falling away. "But you know as well as I do that I can pass this motion without you. It's the beautiful thing about being the queen. This is the more polite, pleasant and friendlier way to do it, I admit. But if I have to, I will pass this council entirely and simply make it into an edict. So I suggest you voice any misgivings you have so I can swat them away, and then you can all sign."

"Your Majesty, really, we cannot have someone unqualified aiding you in the politics of the kingdom."

_Well, that's actually a fair concern,_ Elsa mused. "I agree. We will put in a clause that if I choose to marry someone who's unfit to aid me in my rule, regardless of social standing, they will be kept away from such work. It would increase my workload, but since I'm doing everything myself now as well, that should not be a problem."

Not everyone seemed equally satisfied, but Elsa felt quite gleeful when they all picked up their quills to sign for the final revision. "Good. Then this meeting is adjourned, and we will reconvene for specifics after Yule. Thank you, and enjoy the celebrations."

The men left as quickly as possible – most likely a mix of not wanting to be near the queen and wanting very much to get ready for tonight's banquet – and Elsa opened up the two letters Rapunzel had sent. The first one was a bill from a shopping spree earlier that day. The second letter only contained one sentence: 'I'm standing right behind you.'

Elsa peeked around the high back of her throne, indeed finding the Coronan princess standing there, in a spot from where she could oversee the meeting, but no one could actually have seen her. "Are you aware of the fact I could have you thrown in the dungeons for intruding on a council meeting like this?"

"Oh please. You love me too much to lift a finger against me!" Rapunzel looked at her as if she were challenging her, a little bunny made out of ice hopping around her feet. Elsa merely sighed and shook her head. "What are you doing here, Punz?"

"Oh, you know. International intelligence gathering. Spying. Breaking laws and stuff," she giggled.

"Really, Punzel, _what_ are you doing here?"

"Well, I might have gotten my hand on one of those nifty memos you sent around, and saw something about a marriage law being altered. I got curious... As it happens, I'm very glad that Arendelle is modernizing their same-sex marriage policies. Frankly, your parents should have done that years ago..."

"Yes, well... My parents weren't exactly modern. Or good at their jobs, I suppose."

"Your words, not mine. I'm even happier about your Anna-policy, though."

"My _Anna-policy?_"

"Yes. You can cover it up as much as you want, but you changed that last law for that very purpose. No need to admit it. I can see it in your eyes!"

Elsa looked around shiftily, making sure no one was around. "Fine, but if you tell _anyone_ I'll have you locked up in the dungeons for the remainder of Yule. I swear it, Rapunzel. Don't. You. Dare."

Rapunzel raised her hands in mock surrender. "I wouldn't dare. You need to talk to Anna, though. That is, unless she talks to you first."

"I doubt that," Elsa sighed.

"Eugene can be very convincing..."

"Eugene? What does he- Oh... Punzel, what did you do?"

"Nothing, nothing," the princess giggled, skipping away. "Nothing at all!"

* * *

><p>He kneeled down in front of her, one knee touching down on the black stones of the floor. That wasn't enough for her, though. And she'd make sure he knew it. The dark mist formed like a whip in her hand, and she felt content with the snapping sound it made when she slapped it across the floor, right in front of him. Immediately, he fell to both his knees, pressing his face to the floor as well.<p>

Now he was practically splayed out on the floor, but frankly, she still wasn't happy. Using her magic, she enlarged her posture, turning into a large, feral form twice the size of her actual body. This form, she mused, had the added effect of distorting her voice, making it echo through her throne room.

"You failed me, Clint. What have you to say?"

Clint looked positively frightened, but still not enough. "I can explain, Milady. It was really not my fault-"

"Not your fault? How dare you! I ordered you to infiltrate Arendelle and OBSERVE. You should not have entered the tournament. You displayed your gift for the Ice Queen. Showed it off to all the kingdoms like a peacock would show his feathers! How exactly is that not your fault?"

"I can make it right! Just let me go back. I'll kill the Ice Witch!"

"No! The time is not right. Thanks to you, we need to take a... different approach. You cost us a lot of time!"

"I'm sorry, Milady. I do bring information..."

The mist around her dissipated to show her actual body again, though it still lingered at her feet, ready to do her bidding when necessary. "Talk, then, and make yourself useful."

"The Queen of Arendelle has a pet. A lowly farmer girl – entire city is talking about her. Anna Oaken's her name. She might be her weak spot. But, of course, that is entirely up to you."

_Might be useful. Might be useless._

"I also have an easier way in for us, when the time comes. A nobleman slighted by the queen. He's outside."

She beckoned for Gregor to fetch the man. When he walked in, hunched and shifty-looking, she smiled a crooked smile. "What's your name?"

"Lord Eberhard Orthal. Although I'm no lord anymore."

"And you can help us into Arendelle?"

"Yes."

_Such a lack of respect... But if he can make himself useful..._

"You would help us kill the queen? Kill the girl? Demolish the castle? Ransack the city?"

"I thought... I thought you just wanted to conquer Arendelle? Rule in Elsa's stead?"

"You thought wrong, then."

"I... see. Maybe coming here was a mistake... My argument with the queen does not warrant such excessive force. I'll be leaving now."

Her mist encircled him within seconds, before he could even turn to walk away. It swirled around his head for a full minute, before returning to her feet again.

"Tell me, Eberhard... Whose pet are you?"

"Yours, Milady."

"And you'll help us ruin Arendelle?"

"Anything for my Mistress."

"Good. Go lock yourself up in the dungeons now, and be a good boy until I ask for you."

"Anything to please," the old man muttered with a deep bow, before hobbling off.

She concentrated slightly, willing the mist to her right hand. It immediately formed a large claw, the talons scraping across the floor. "Now then, Clint. I believe it is time for your punishment..."

* * *

><p>Anna was slowly starting to get used to all the luxurious circumstances of her stay and had no trouble getting into her gown for the banquet. She had to try very hard to hide her smile though, when she watched her father and brother in fine tailored suits, each of them a servant to accompany them all night, and a contingent of guards walking behind them as they made their way to the banquet hall. They really weren't expecting the royal treatment, apparently.<p>

The banquet hall was basically the throne room, minus the throne. The entire interior had been changed, the place now filled with several long tables, each lined with comfortable chairs. Everyone seemed to be taking seats randomly, so Anna and her family just dropped down at one of the tables, their servants standing at attention behind them.

"Did you hear? The queen revised the marital laws!" one of the men on the other side of the table told his neighbour in an exaggerated whisper.

"Really? Which one?"

"One of the members of the Grand Council is a good friend of mine, you know. He told me that, soon, men will be allowed to marry men, and the same goes for women!"

"Well, good. We have been incredibly old fashioned in that regard, have we not?"

"Certainly. Certainly. But I can't help and think it has something to do with you-know..."

Both men nodded at that statement, as if they were wise sages who had just discussed some important philosophical dilemma. They seemed perfectly content not talking anymore, and Anna's attention shifted towards a group of noblewomen sitting at the table behind her.

"Well, I heard the guards muttering about it, you know! So it must be true!"

"Oh, Eva, what would the guards know about that?"

"I'm telling you, they'll make the announcement soon enough! Just mark my words."

Elsa came strolling in from the opposite end of the room, and somehow managed to capture the attention of everyone in the large hall immediately.

"Welcome to the Yule Banquet, everyone! As you can see, the tables have been arranged somewhat differently than earlier years. Unlike my parents, I believe Yule to be a time in which we are equals, and I would therefore ask you all to forget your stations for just one night – difficult as that may be for some of us – and just enjoy yourself. Everyone is free to sit where they wish, talk to whomever they desire, and indulge in fine foods and glorious drinks. For those to whom it may apply – please go easy on the wine."

The doors opened, and dozens of servants flocked in, carrying trays of food and flagons of drink. Within minutes, the tables were set, and everyone started digging in. After a mere few minutes, the men on the opposite side of the table left to mingle with acquaintances. Anna was thoroughly focused on her krumkake – deciding that eating dessert first was the best idea ever – and didn't notice Elsa's graceful form sitting down. Asger and Kristoff immediately fell still.

"Thank you for your note, Anna," Elsa smiled kindly.

Anna nearly dropped everything she had in her hands to the floor – which would be a waste of food – when she finally noticed Elsa. "Oh, uhm. Yeah. No problem. Your Majesty!"

"Just Elsa is fine, Anna. Really."

"There are people around..."

"I know," Elsa smiled, looking at her a little smugly.

"Okay..." _My voice keeps getting smaller and smaller_.

"About the talk I promised you... Tonight isn't really an option, and tomorrow is going to be a busy and hectic day... But after that, I think we should have a little sit-down in the library. We seem to have a lot to discuss."

Elsa's piercing gaze was almost too intense for Anna to handle. And despite the fact that she desperately wanted to look away, she also longed to just sit there and keep staring at Elsa all night. She probably would have, had Merida not suddenly plopped down next to her.

"If you two keep looking at each other like that, people will start to talk," she chuckled, taking a piece of meat from a nearby plate.

Elsa switched her attentions with a tiny frown. "People are already talking. I imagine I have your little pretty mouth to thank for that?"

"Rapunzel! It was all Rapunzel! Oh, and Eugene, a little. I think Belle might have mentioned it a few times as well. And Adam, of course. And let's not forget Hans – he's been telling _everyone_ who wanted to listen. Kai and Gerda weren't exactly subtle about it either. And then there's the _guards_, Elsa. Really, I've never seen such talkative guards as yours."

Elsa waved her hand a little, sending a tuft of cold air towards Merida's piece of meat. She took a bite, her face immediately scrunching up in disgust. "Blegh. Elsa! No fair. Worst. Host. Ever."

And with those parting words, Merida made room, which was immediately occupied by a man Anna had never seen before. "So, you must be the lovely Anna Oaken I've been hearing so much about?"

Anna just nodded. "I suppose. What did you hear about me?"

The old man chuckled into his hand slightly while Elsa excused herself again. "Oh, I've heard a lot, dear. But I won't give credence to rumours. Much as I'd like some of them to be based on truth..." It wasn't a question, but Anna couldn't help thinking he might have meant it as one. "And which rumours might those be?"

"Well, talk around town is you will be marrying the Queen within the next two months."

Anna's face must have expressed some form of confusion, but with the way her muscles felt, she wasn't exactly sure. "Married within two months? Do these people even realise who I am?"

"Why, of course. Only a few hours ago, Queen Elsa changed around a few laws regarding royal or noble marriages. Lawfully, she is now allowed to marry anyone she wishes. Well, not exactly sure about foreign commoners, actually. But certainly any commoner from Arendelle."

"I... see. I wasn't aware of that. Also, I can assure you, the queen and I are _not_ planning our wedding."

"Of course not, dear," the man said with a sly grin.

"We're not even involved. We're just friends, really."

"Of course. Of course. That, then, begs the question why the queen would find it necessary to ask your father for your hand, but who am I to comment on that, right?"

_She what now? Is that what they were talking about? Oh gods... No! Of course not! What am I thinking? It's all just rumours. Just rumours. Not even based on facts. How could this old cod even know what Elsa and Papa talked about?_

She smiled politely then. "I think you're quite mistaken, sir. My father did no such thing."

"Maybe. Maybe not... Now, dear, if you could excuse me. I see that my brother is consuming more ale than he can bear."

Anna, only now noticing her father and brother had both left this table in favour of another one, also got up. After a brief moment, she made her way to Rapunzel and Eugene, who were sitting together, slightly away from the rest.

"I did as you asked, but how should I know if- Oh, hello, Anna!" Eugene suddenly cut his sentence off.

Rapunzel waved and smiled. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Very much so, yes. If only everyone would stop asking me when I'm going to marry Queen Elsa..."

Both royals snickered a little. "You can't really blame them. You being here is proof enough for most people. And the two of you _have_ been spending a lot of time together – the guards can attest to that. And then the mystery meeting with your father..."

"Yeah, about that..."

Rapunzel stopped Anna before she could ask anything. "Sorry, but Elsa didn't even tell me and Merida what it was about. For all I know she wanted to know about your farm's harvest."

Eugene snorted a little. "Yeah, right. That totally makes no sense at all- ouch! Stop nudging me, dear! So, Anna... have you thought about what I said earlier?"

Anna nodded slowly, pensively. "Elsa and I have a talk planned for... the day after tomorrow. So, I guess we'll just get this entire misunderstanding out of the way then," she sighed eventually.

"From where I'm standing, there isn't much of an understanding to get out of the way," Rapunzel smiled, giving Anna a coy wink. Anna took a moment to let her ears wander, and surely enough she found that her _supposed_ marriage was indeed the talk of the town.

"... marrying an Arendelle farmer's daughter..."

"...wedding laws don't change for nothing, dear."

"...wonder who will be wearing the dress, maybe even both..."

"...quite unheard of indeed, but I see no objections..."

"...Coronan Princess can do it, why wouldn't our queen..."

"...really a lovely girl. Talked to her just a few days ago. So polite..."

Anna groaned loudly, dropping her head in her hands. _Tonight is going to be a long night. And tomorrow is going to be a long, long day. I hope the surprise event is something good, because I could really use the distraction_.

* * *

><p>Most of the food was gone now. People had... indulged themselves in it, and Elsa had given the servants the order to deliver the left-over food to the cities orphanage and hospital. To the people who needed it most. Now people were just standing around, indulging in too much wine and too loud conversations. Regrettably, being the host meant she couldn't just <em>leave<em>.

"Really, Elsa, it's not fair," Belle chimed from behind her.

"What isn't fair, Cherie?"

"I'm used to being the _Belle_ of the ball, but today, the only thing everyone's been talking about is you and your beloved..." Belle smiled.

The not-so-subtle wordplay wasn't lost on Elsa, and she tried to suppress a soft giggle. "I'm terribly sorry, Belle. Won't happen again. I don't even know where all these rumours keep coming from."

"Well, there not rumours if they're true, are they?"

Elsa blushed a shade of red her face wasn't quite used to. "Trust me, I would know if I were engaged to someone..."

"True. Very true. So you are not engaged. _Yet_."

Elsa rolled her eyes. In that motion, she noticed Rapunzel and Eugene, Merida and Hans all looking at her with expressions that promised little good. "Never mind, Belle. I think I know _exactly_ where all these rumours come from..." she muttered, trying to sound exasperated. She knew very well, though, that she probably sounded like a love-struck teenager.

_And it's not even far from the truth..._


	11. Chapter 11

**Fair warning in advance: This isn't one of my best chapters. Especially the first part isn't really to my liking, but I've written and re-written is six times, and I can't get it to become any better than it is now, so I decided to just publish it already and move on. **

**As always, I'd like to thank everyone for following/favoriting and reviewing! You have all made me a happy lass.**

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><p>"We will see you again soon, ya?" her father asked, a remarkably soft expression plastered onto his face.<p>

"Sure, Papa," Anna smiled. She was sad to see them go, but also feeling giddy for today's mystery event, and the rest of Yule in the big city. Kristoff and Asger had only been invited for the banquet, and had decided to leave early today. All in all, Anna had mixed feelings about their departure.

Kristoff smiled broadly. "Now, now, princess, don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Anna smiled. "I won't. I think."

Sven bobbed his head up and down before he started pulling the sleigh away from Anna. She stared at their retreating form for a while before making her way to the throne room again – knowing that Elsa would be announcing today's festivities soon. When she arrived, she found a large crowd already gathered. She didn't manage to make out anyone she knew, though.

After nearly fifteen minutes, Elsa and the entire delegation of royals walked onto the dais, standing above the crowd. Anna immediately noticed the glint in their eyes, as if they were looking forward to something. Elsa spread her arms out wide in a welcoming gesture, and every nobleman in the room silenced.

"Welcome again, everyone. Today is going to be a day of _fun_ and _entertainment_. But also a day of _sportsmanship _and _competition_. The entire day will be filled with festivities throughout the city – artists and entertainers from many kingdoms have travelled to Arendelle for this very occasion, so there will be plenty to take in. The grand highlight of the day, however, is a treasure hunt of sorts."

At the mention of the treasure hunt, everyone started whispering with their neighbours. Even the stuffy old noblemen seemed to have an interest. Soon enough, Anna understood why.

"Naturally, as with all competitions, there needs to be a price. Or rather, a series of prices. The second runner-up will have everything supplied to him for three months. Food, drinks, coal, firewood – they will want for nothing!"

There was polite applause. Anna was already mesmerised. With such a price, Oaken Farm could suddenly make a much larger profit over a season. _Maybe I should partake in this treasure hunt..._

"The first runner-up will earn a price in the form of gold. Five-hundred gold pieces, free of charge or burden, will be awarded to the second place in this competition."

More enthusiastic applause followed that. _Five hundred gold pieces?! By Asgard that's a lot of money... I should really enter this competition_...

"The winner of the treasure hunt," Elsa continued, smiling enthusiastically. "Will earn a one-of-a-kind price. Something we've never handed out before, and might never hand out again. The winner will get a single wish. If it is within reason, the Crown will fulfil it. You can use this wish for gold. You can use this wish to raise your social standing. You can use this wish in any reasonable way. Naturally, the crown retains the right to decline a wish, in which case a new wish can be made. The wish can be stored, as it were. You need not make the wish today, or even tomorrow. The right to make a wish remains for as long as I'm the Queen of Arendelle."

The entire room erupted in applause and muttering. Anna understood completely. With the right to make a wish, you could do_ so much_. It was pretty much a one-way ticket to fulfilling one's life's desires. _I'm definitely going to do this treasure hunt._

"Anyone wishing to enter the treasure hunt sign up on the lists on the boards. The restrictions on the wish-process can also be found there. The competition will start one hour from now, so if you wish to partake, ensure that you are here."

For some time, the throne room was home to complete and utter chaos. People signing in, people leaving the throne room, people who wanted to read the rules. After an hour of said chaos, the contestants were ushered to the front, immediately in front of the dais.

"Contestants, listen up! Each royal has hidden a golden band somewhere in this city." Elsa held up a small golden band, the size of a bracelet. "A golden band _exactly_ like this one. The one who has most of them by the end of the day will win. For the contestants that end up with equal amounts of bands, there will be competitions at the end of the day. You have all been handed a pamphlet with the rules and regulations for the contest. I wish you all the best of luck. The contest ends at four in the afternoon, and we expect you all to be at the stage on the main square. Now, let the game begin!"

Anna, like the other contestants, immediately made her way to the castle's exit, but halfway down the final corridor, an arm grabbed her elbow. She was already at the end of the procession of competitors, and she really couldn't use this hassle right now. Annoyed, she turned towards the offender, ready to give him a piece of her mind.

"Princess Rapunzel?"

"It's cold outside, Anna," the young woman smiled.

"Yes, I know. There's snow."

"Exactly."

"Now that we've established that it's cold, can I go?"

"You should dress against the cold, Anna."

"No time, Your Highness."

"Trust me, Anna," Rapunzel muttered. "I'm certain Elsa provided a mantle for you, _right_?"

Anna and Rapunzel stared each other down for a moment, the princess giving her an almost imperceptible nod. Anna didn't know why Rapunzel would want her to start the competition with a handicap, but, remembering her station, nodded nonetheless.

She huffed and bristled to herself while making her way to her room, slamming the door open forcefully when she arrived. She was surprised that none of her servants were in her chambers, but she figured they were attending to duties elsewhere. She grabbed a heavy cloak from her wardrobe and tied it around her neck. And then, just as she was about to leave, she saw it.

Right there, on her vanity, was a golden bracelet. Anna just stood there for a moment, staring at the foreign object in her room. _I'm pretty sure that is cheating_, she thought to herself as she picked it up, looking the delicate object over. Examining the trinket, she noticed the engraving on the inside of the band – _Princess Rapunzel of Corona . _

_Well, that explains a lot_, Anna thought to herself with a grin. It was probably not fair to the others participating in the treasure hunt, but she wasn't going to decline a gift like this. Sliding the jewel in the pocket of her mantle, she bustled out of her room.

In the courtyard, Anna found ten men turning over bays of hay, rummaging through the stables and scurrying through the training yard. _Not going to find anything there, even if someone did hide something there_.

"The church!" someone yelled. "Surely there's something hidden there?"

Anna, not being able to think of any better place off the cuff, ran after the group of men and women on their way to the church. Passing by the main square, she immediately stopped dead in her tracks, her attention fully occupied by acrobats, magicians, musicians, dancing and other frivolities. And there, on a scaffold that hadn't been there the day before, stood Elsa, looking out over the square.

It took a rotund nobleman bowling into her to rip her attention away from all the bustle around her. Quickly scrambling back to her feet, she hurried after the group of eager hunters. As soon as she laid eyes on the church, she realised that, with so many people looking around there, she wouldn't be able to find anything unless she got extremely lucky.

_Okay, Anna. Think. Think. Where would they hide their loot... Think... Town Hall! _

Anna swivelled around and hurried down the road towards Town Hall. Surely, _someone_ had chosen to hide their golden band there, right? They had to have. Anna didn't know if she was as certain as she sounded, or rather trying to convince herself. Nevertheless, it was worth a shot. Especially since no one else seemed to have headed there yet, and running after the masses simply wasn't the way.

The door to the building was unlocked, but none of the desks were occupied by the nobles that usually worked there. _Probably all out getting drunk or chasing royal jewellery, _Anna thought wryly. One of the servants walked up to her. "Something I can help you with?"

"Is there... by any chance a golden bracelet somewhere in here?"

The woman shrugged, indicating she didn't know. Her posture, however, was tense, and Anna noticed her eyes shooting towards the _Public Services_ desk. Anna pattered over to the large marble desk, unoccupied, and _Yes, yes, yes!_

It was just laying there, on the white marble, glittering in all of its golden splendour. Anna swiped it, the people in the large space smiling at her encouragingly. Before pocketing her second band, hardly being able to believe how easy it had been so far, she examined it a little more closely. _Princess Catherine II of Foxcliff_. _Nice!_

Anna noticed a mob of noblewomen flocking outside, hurrying towards their next destination. Anna figured that, having no idea where to look now, she might as well follow them for the time being. Anna wondered about the vigour of some of the contestants. Her wonder turned into concern – and dare she say even disgust – as the women ran into a girl, around fifteen years old, carrying a large bag filled with toys.

The girl tumbled to the ground, scattering the toys through the main street. The girl looked at the group of women, none of whom slowed down or even spared a glance at her or her scattered belongings, with a forlorn expression. Anna, instantly deciding that she didn't want to be like those cold-hearted vultures, stopped and crouched down to help her. Gathering the wooden toys from the cobblestones and returning them to the girl with a kind smile, Anna apologised in name of the nobles. The girl gave her a lopsided grin. "Thanks. I've had to gather everything on my own four times already."

"Four times? You mean people keep bowling you over and no one stopped to help?"

"Exactly. That was more or less the idea, though..." she smiled hesitantly.

"Uhm... what?"

"I was paid to stand here and be a bother to treasure hunters..." she explained slowly. "And I was told to give this to the first person who stopped their hunt to help me out. Something about purity of heart and concern for the people." The girl's smile brightened as she took velvet pouch from one of her pockets and handed it to Anna.

Loosening the ribbon just enough to peek into the pouch, Anna took in a sharp breath, suddenly finding herself with another band. _Prince-Consort Eugene of Corona_. Anna smiled to herself, thanking the girl and slowly making her way to the centre square again.

_It was a test. Typical of Eugene to devise something like that... That's it! I've been going at this the wrong way entirely. Instead of running between landmarks, I should choose one of the royals, consider their personality, and take it from there... It's riskier, though... What if I end up looking for something someone already found...? Well, that's a risk even if I just check out landmarks... Let me see... Merida... Merida of DunBroch... tomboy princess... archery... fighting... archery and fighting... horse riding at break-neck speeds... _

_But those men already rummaged through the stables... But not the royal stables, just the guard horses... Merida talked about her horse... How she brought her own horse with her from DunBroch for forest rides...Angie? No, no! Angus! Yes, that was it!_

Anna hurried back towards the castle, noticing how no one lingered around there anymore. She felt her heart sink, figuring that someone probably already checked the royal stables thoroughly. Every nobleman, after all, was allowed in there. Approaching the large building of red brick and wood, she smiled kindly at the two guards in front of the door.

"Yes?"

"Uhm... Can I go in?"

"Why?"

_Geez, these guards are monosyllabic, aren't they? _"I think one of the treasures for the treasure hunt is in there..."

The guards displayed a small smile as they stepped aside and opened the door for her with a curtsy. Anna walked through the centre aisle, looking at the names written on the separate stables. She sauntered past Thor, Elsa's personal horse, and found a stable reading _Angus_ at the far end. The door consisted out of two parts, and the upper part was left open, allowing the horse to stick his head out. Anna recognized the gleam of gold even in these dark surroundings, and it was definitely gold that was gleaming on Angus' holster. She dislodged the little band. _Princess Merida of DunBroch_, exactly what she needed.

With four bands secured already, Anna found herself strolling around the main square again, taking a little time off to look at the performers, taking in all the exotic – everything was exotic to Anna, but still – forms of entertainment. She realised she had to hurry, the contest would end in two hours, but she was simply mesmerised.

While looking at a man blowing fire from his mouth, Anna pondered on the remaining bracelets. _King and Queen of Corona, King and Queen of DunBroch. Who else was at that meeting? Gah, there were so many... Belle and her husband, of course... _

Fergus, the loud and outgoing king... Elinor, his strict and restrained wife... Anna had no idea where those two would hide their treasure... Maybe she could figure Belle out? She let her mind wander back to all the conversations she had shared with the Queen of France... She recalled there had been an odd remark when she talked with her in the corridor, when she had been giving her family a tour...

_What had it been? Reading, right, they had been talking about reading... And Belle had said... Come on, Anna. Remember! 'If you find yourself with some time on your hands in the next few days, you should really check out Arendelle's public library. Elsa's libraries are lovely, but the atmosphere in a public library is just tres grande.' Yes, that had been it..._

Arendelle's public library was a large, old-fashioned building that looked like it had been one of the first buildings to have been constructed. The rooms, or maybe they should be called halls, were large, with light filtering through the dust-riddled sky through high and narrow windows. It wasn't a _huge_ building necessarily, but still too large to look through the entire collection within an hour and a half.

_I have to be smart about this... Where would Queen Belle hide this thing? What kind of books would she like? Not the dictionaries or encyclopaedia sections, surely. Fairy tales? Probably not... Romantic literature, perhaps?_

Anna found her target area soon enough – thank goodness there were signs – and looked along the backs of the shelves. She had expected this to be difficult, but most of the books were greyed with dust, leaving only a few options she had to check. Soon enough, she found a blue tome which had, quite clearly, recently been removed from its shelve.

"Beauty and the Beast, huh?" Anna muttered to herself, thumbing through the book.

_Drat, nothing in here... And I was so certain!_

She moved to place the book back on the shelve, and only noticed the object at the back at the shelve in the nick of time. "Gotcha," she laughed out loud, putting Belle's band with the others. _That makes five..._

With little over an hour left, Anna resorted to aimlessly wandering around the city again. She was certain she wouldn't be able to find any of the bands of the kings and queens. After all, she didn't know any of them very well. _Except for Elsa..._

The thought came on so suddenly she almost stumbled over her own feet. Why hadn't she tried to find Elsa's treasure first? That would have been so much more logical! _But... where would she have to look for Elsa's band? Someplace cold? Inside the castle? Honestly... I have no idea... _

Anna wandered the city, and half an hour before the end of the competition, she started making her way to the main square. She let her mind go over everything Elsa had said, but that just distracted her – the entire marriage-conversation far from forgotten. And then the idea hit her. It was so simple that it was brilliant, really.

Anna reached the square, where everyone was still enjoying the performances. Anna casually walked up to the heavily guarded main scaffold, where most of the royalty were sitting or standing. She was hardly surprised when the guards let her pass through without even asking anything. In a bout of confidence, she walked up to Elsa, who was chatting amiably with Rapunzel and her parents.

"Um, sorry to interrupt?"

All four heads turned in her direction. Elsa and Rapunzel both had kind expressions on their face, whereas the king and queen looked... confused and interested, Anna would call it.

"Hello Anna. Anything I can do for you?"

"Well, yes. Actually. I'd like your golden band."

"Well, the idea is that you _look_ for them. I can't just tell you where it is, Anna. You know that."

Anna smiled a little. "But I _know_ where it is. It's around your wrist. And I'd like to add it to my... collection."

For a moment everyone stared at each other stone-faced. Then Elsa's lips spread in a broad grin. She raised her arms, letting the sleeve of her dress fall back, revealing the golden band. She shook it off her wrist and handed it to Anna. _Queen Elsa of Arendelle_. "How did you know?"

Anna smiled even broader. "Well, it was simple really... It was all in the way you talked at the said, bands _exactly_ like this one. And... you couldn't really have hidden the one you showed us, so I figured you'd have it on your person..."

"Well deduced, Ms. Oaken," the king of Corona chimed in.

"Oh, uh, thank you, Your Majesty."

Rapunzel wiggled her eyebrows. "So, how many did you find?"

Anna's grin faltered. "You'll see in a few minutes, right? Don't want to spoil the surprise..."

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><p>Elsa smiled her regular distant smile as she noticed all the faces looking up at her. The performers had stopped performing. Everyone's attention was on her now, the clock tower just having marked the time as four in the afternoon. Time to reveal the winner of the contest. She looked at the many grinning faces below her.<p>

"Everyone who did _not_ find any of the golden bands... I am sorry, but you can leave the contestant area. Unfortunately there will be no prizes for you!"

Many of the nobles milled around for a while, joining the crowd behind them with disappointed faces. Most of them looked like they had had a fun day nonetheless, though. "Those of you who have managed to find one band, please step forward!"

Two men stepped forward. Elsa nodded to the first, who procured the band from a pocket and raised it high. "King Corin of Corona!" he almost shouted. The king stepped forward and took the band from him, looking it over for a moment and nodding to Elsa. The other man showed the band of Queen Ariel of Denmark, which explained his wet clothing, and this one was also confirmed as authentic.

Elsa continued in the same manner, until only four contestants were still standing. By then, the sun was slowly dipping behind the mountains, making it harder to see what was happening on the large square.

"Very well, gentlemen," Elsa shot a quick glance to a grinning Anna, "and lady... From left to right, step forward and tell us how many bands you've found."

The first man stepped forward, raising three bands into the air, and revealing their owners to be the Queen of Corona, King of Denmark, and the Queen of Gallinon. The next man also had three bands to present, two from DunBroch and one from France.

The fourth man puffed out his chest, noticing how Anna's shoulders fell slightly. "It appears I am the winner, then, Your Majesty, for I have _five_ bands." Elsa resisted the urge to roll her eyes, turning her attention to Anna. Just then something peculiar happened, as a face-splitting grin suddenly appeared on her face, a bright light shone in her eyes, and she pulled her shoulders back.

Anna put her hand in the pocket of her cape, pulling out one band, "Princess Rapunzel of Corona!" and another, "Princess Merida of DunBroch!" and then another, "Queen Belle of France!, and one more, "Princess Catherine II of Foxcliff!" She paused for a while, rummaging around in another pocket. "Prince-Consort Eugene of Corona!"

Elsa smiled as everyone on the square held their breath. Right now, Anna and the insufferable nobleman next to her were sharing their spot. But Elsa knew better.

"And finally, Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" Anna shouted to the cheering crowd behind her, raising the band up high. They went through the process of making sure the bands were authentic, which they were, of course. Anna moved to walk down the stage again, but Elsa grabbed her arm.

"Good people of Arendelle! The winner's have been presented! Now, the festivities will resume for all of you to enjoy!" Elsa considered continuing her speech, but since everyone was either already turning their attention somewhere else, or looking anxious to do so, she decided to keep it short. "Do not let me keep you any longer. Enjoy the night!"

The attention of the crowd turned away from them, and Elsa shifted towards Kai. "Kai, you will see to the distribution of the runner-ups, right?"

"Yes, my Queen."

"Thank you."

She looped her arm through Anna's, starting to stroll towards the castle. "Don't worry, Anna. You'll be free to return to the festivities after we've discussed your prize."

Anna drew Elsa's arm a little closer to herself, seeming perfectly content on missing out on the festivities if it meant hanging off Elsa's arm. _But I'm probably imagining that. Aren't I? She did ask me to kiss her... but only because of the mistletoe! Then again, Punz and Mer said that there is no such thing as 'just a mistletoe kiss.' So does she feel this too? This light, jittery, floating feeling? _

"Hmm, it's okay, Elsa... I'm perfectly... Wait, you _did_ want me to call you Elsa, right? But that's odd, because you said I could only call you Elsa if we were alone, and we definitely are not alone now, so why..."

Elsa smiled a little. "I think we're past formalities now, Anna. Unless you disagree, of course?"

Anna looked at her peculiarly, narrowing her eyes a little. For a moment she looked like Elsa had asked her something completely different. Then, with another wide smile. "No, it's good. I like calling you Elsa."

"Good," Elsa muttered without thinking. She pointedly ignored Rapunzel cooing about their cuteness behind her, hoping Anna didn't hear it. _Tomorrow's talk is going to be so awkward..._ "Well, Anna, any ideas for your wish?"

"No... But I don't have to make it right now, do I?"

Elsa shot her a reassuring smile. "No, Anna. You can save it for the next I-don't-know-how-many years. Until my future heir takes the throne..."

They were walking down the castle corridors now, parts of their trail splitting off to their own rooms, dining halls or anywhere else. "So, set your sights on your future partner yet?" Anna asked casually, as if she didn't care in the slightest. "That's what Yule is traditionally for, right? Finding a suitor for the monarch?"

"Hmmhmm," Elsa murmured. "I don't know. I... have someone in mind. Not sure if there is any process in that department, though..."

Anna raised her eyebrows at her. _Please stop looking all adorable-like while holding my arm. I can't take this. Stop looking at me like that. Please, someone, do something before I kiss her. Oh god, I'm the Queen-Regnant of a kingdom and here I'm panicking just because of a stare. Her stare._

"Oi, lasses! Punzie and I are gonna grab a bite, you two comin' along?"

Anna nodded against Elsa's arm, rubbing her cheek over the soft fabric of Elsa's sleeve. It sent goose bumps up her arm and down her back, which she tried to ignore. "Sure. Gerda, could you bring us something in my study?"

"Right away, Your Majesty."

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><p>Mere minutes later, the four young women found themselves seated around Elsa's desk, the paperwork casually pushed aside to make room for platters with food, watching Rapunzel's bunny hop around their feet.<p>

"It's a bit of a shame I can't actually touch her," Rapunzel lamented. "She's way too cold."

Anna reached out her hand, fingers brushing against the floor softly. The little creature immediately stopped assaulting Merida's feet, instead opting to leap at Anna's hand. Elsa watched with soft eyes as Anna lifted her into her lap, gently playing with her icy ears. The usual warm feeling immediately returned thrumming through her being like a drum of a marching army.

A knock on the door caused them all to turn, watching as Hans poked his head inside. "Elsa, sis! I have a whole bunch of people who claim to know _everything_ about your magic. Want to meet them tomorrow?"

Elsa nodded. "Yes, there'll be plenty of time tomorrow."

Hans cocked an eyebrow. "There are no festivities tomorrow, right? Or did I miss a memo? Should I get my suit ready?"

Elsa snickered a little. "As if you don't _always _have two suits ready, just in case... But no, there are no plans for tomorrow. It's just that... I promised Anna a talk about that little quip of yours..."

"Ah, I see. Glad I could be of service!"

"Hans, I swear I'll-"

"I'll arrange the meeting with the experts for eight in the morning, in the throne room."

"Actually, could you make it ten? I'm certain Anna would enjoy sleeping in after a day of... hard work."

Hans nodded with a tiny wave before retreating and closing the door. "I hope you don't mind joining me for the meeting, Anna? I promise we can talk afterwards..."

"Grmpf! Nuh pruhblm!" Anna forced out, her mouth filled with a hefty chunk of cake.

"Good," Elsa smiled. To her surprise, she found Anna's manners – or the lack thereof – rather endearing.

"Wait, lass? You understood that jumble?"

Rapunzel nudged her sharply, silencing the loud-mouthed princess. "So, Anna. Did anyone tell you about Elsa's first crush yet?"

Anna's eyes immediately started sparkling with interest. Elsa, knowing that she wouldn't be able to stop what was about to happen even with her powers, groaned and rested her head in her hands. "There we go again..."

"It was a long time ago, ten years or more, I'd say... We were celebrating Elsa's birthday party, royals from all over the place had flocked to Arendelle for that very occasion. I'm not sure who were there, but Merida and I were, and I believe Belle as well. Back then she was just a princess, of course. Oh, and Cathy, of course."

"Princess Catherine of Foxcliff," Merida filled in. "You know, the one that looks a bit like a... well, a fox. Reddish hair in a ponytail? Long, pointy face? Bright piercing eyes?"

Anna nodded, eager for the rest of the story, and for a moment Elsa considered freezing Rapunzel and Merida on the spot, not thawing them before Yule ended. Or maybe she could just add them to her collection of ice sculptures and tell their parents that they'd run off into the woods again...

"Well, Elsa came to us telling us she had a crush on Cathy, and she needed our help to let her know. Merida was immediately aboard, of course. I figured it might be best to tell her parents first, before acting. Back then, a princess pursuing another princess was rather... controversial... Then again I suppose it still is... ah well, not relevant for the story. Anyway, Elsa had kept her powers a secret until then, on the insistence of her parents, but wanted to use them to... how did she put it?"

"Freeze their hearts together," Merida supplied helpfully, snickering as Elsa dropped her head onto the desk with a loud thump.

"Right! So, everyone was gathered in the gardens, king and queen even had all the snow removed so Merida wouldn't start assaulting us with it, and we were just about to start the cake when Elsa jumped onto a table. I had refused to help her, and Queen Elinor kept Merida under strict watch-"

"Rightly so, she toppled the cake," Elsa contributed with an exasperated look at her friends.

"Right, but that's another story entirely. Anyway, Elsa stood all alone, on the table, with everyone's eyes on her. And then, to everyone's surprise, she actually started singing! On one knee, still on the table..."

Merida and Rapuzel both snickered a little as they began reciting the text.

_About Yule, when the wind blew cool;_

_And the round tables began,_

_A' there is come to our Queen's court_

_Many a well-favoured man._

_The Queen looked o'er the castle wa',_

_Beheld baith dale and down,_

_And then she saw young Waters_

_Come riding to the town._

_Her footmen they did rin before,_

_Her horsemen rade behind;_

_Ane mantle of the burning gold_

_Did keep her frae the wind._

"That's about as far as she got, and she created a single rose out of ice, jumped off the table and placed it at Cathy's feet. Naturally, total chaos followed after that. Most people were either outraged that Elsa, only a kid, had made advances to another princess, while others were... concerned about the sudden revelation of her magic."

Elsa sighed and leant back in her chair. "Why do you two always remember the most embarrassing things? Really, why? Oh, and my parents... They were so angry!"

Merida chuckled. "Yeah, they totally ruined the bloody party. Sent everyone home that very day!"

"I never heard the end of it," Elsa lamented. "Both the revealing of my magic and my... preference for women. I think they might even have thought the latter worse than the former."

Rapunzel's face turned serious again instantly. "Yes, your parents were rather... conservative. Especially in that aspect."

"They had bloody sticks up their arses, they had," Merida belted out, quickly covering her mouth. "Don't throw me in the dungeons!"

Elsa shook her head with another chuckle. "No, no. You're completely right. My parents were not very understanding..."

Merida, apparently relieved she would not become a prisoner of the Crown, removed her hands. "Good thing you've altered marital laws, then, right?"

"Yes. It should have been one of the first things I did, but I never got round to it..."

"So, what the old pudgy man said was true then?" Anna interrupted.

"What did the old pudgy man say?"

"He talked about how you changed marital laws for same-sex couples, and something about royal and noble marriages. And then he went off the deep end and started rambling about our engagement."

"Oh... I see. Well, yes, then. It's true," Elsa answered slowly. "Not the engagement part, of course!" she followed up hastily. "We're definitely not engaged."

Rapunzel attempted very hard to stifle her giggling behind her hand – an effort Merida didn't make as she laughed loudly, clutching at her sides. "You two must be the most awkward human beings in this kingdom, and beyond!"

Elsa felt her face heating up, and couldn't help but notice the blush spreading on Anna's face. Tomorrow they would sort this entire business out, and then there'd be no more need for awkwardness. Or at least, that's what she was hoping for. Frankly, their conversation tomorrow could end in so many different ways, it was staggering to even consider its implications. Right now, however, her focus was on shutting the two princesses up.

"I'm going to retire now," Elsa muttered. "Feel free to keep occupying my study, as long as you keep those noses out of my royal papers. Fair warning – I'm always looking for new ice sculptures to add to my collection, and I think your parents would believe me if I told them you ran off into the woods again."

Anna stretched and yawned. "I think I should go to bed too. Otherwise I won't make it to the meeting tomorrow morning."

"I'll walk you to your chambers, then," Elsa said, a smile forming on her lips without her even noticing.

The walk to Anna's chambers, still adorned with the image of a red griffin on its door, was spent in silent comfort. Anna threw the door of her chambers open with a flourish, startling the only servant inside. "Ms. Oaken! I – I mean, Anna. I'm so sorry, but the bed has not yet been made. The other servants are tending to your wardrobe and accessories. I haven't had time to draw a bath yet, either."

Anna just smiled. "That's alright, Ingrid. I'll help you with the bed, and there's no hurry in the bath either. I'm not above doing some work myself!" Elsa watched for a few fleeting moments as Anna started helping her servant in making the bed, awed by the kindness and humility in the girl. Without either of them noticing, she slipped into the bathroom.

She closed the door behind her, shutting out the amiable conversation between Anna and her servant. _Ingrid_. Anna even knew the names of her servants, Elsa wondered as she turned one of the faucets. It had been years since she had last drawn a bath herself, but like so many things, it was not something she _couldn't_ do. Just something she didn't _have_ to do.

Once the hot, foaming water was tuned to perfection, she entered the bedchamber again, watching as Anna and Ingrid placed the pillows in the right spots. Ingrid turned towards the bathroom door, before freezing and seeing the queen with a small smile.

"Anna, your bath is ready when you are," Elsa smiled, feeling a warmth inside her she hadn't felt in a long time. "I'll send Kai by to fetch you for tomorrow's meeting. Have a good night."

Elsa left the room, but contrary to her earlier plans, she didn't go to her own chambers. She found herself strolling towards her library, sending one of the servants to find Kai. Her steward met her a few corridors before the library.

"Kai, could you bring the personnel files to my library, please?"

"Of course, Your Majesty. Do you intend to fire anyone? If you do, I feel inclined to tell you that Gerda and I have everything under control."

"No, nothing of the kind. I just feel I should be... more aware of those who work for me. I only know you and Gerda by name..."

Kai nodded and walked off, making sure the queen would not be able to make out his face-splitting grin. Miss Oaken certainly seemed to be a good influence on the young monarch.


	12. Chapter 12

**Before we get this chapter started, I feel I should address a few issues that have been raised by all you lovely people. And since I'm known for being (a little too) frank and blunt from time to time, I'm going to start with telling all of you how much I love you. Your support and reviews really _do_ mean the world to me. And then I don't just mean the positive ones – I respect that not everyone is of the same opinion, and negative remarks can (usually) be used to improve myself, so I'm grateful for those as well. Please keep this in mind while reading the next two points – I really don't want any of you to think I'm being mean here, because that's not at all my intention.**

**Anyhow: Firstly, I've been getting A LOT of remarks about certain typos that could be found in previous chapters. Yes. I am aware of most of them. However, I only noticed them after re-reading the chapter when it had already been posted. I proofread everything myself, but do not have a second set of eyes to check my chapters (most of the time), so yes, every now and then a typo slips by me. Much as I hate to say it, it will probably stay that way – if you can't look past a few typos, this is probably not the best story for you to be reading. I'm doing my best and that's all I can do.**

**Secondly, I'm getting a bunch of complaints about the story moving too fast, and Elsa and Anna suddenly getting married is (quoting: ) _poor writing, lazy and incompetence incarnate_. Well, sorry, but that's just being rude. First of all, they're not even married yet, so you don't really have a reason to complain about that. Secondly, this story is set in a time where arranged marriages were the norm, so I guess it's not all that strange for a sudden marriage to be scheduled. Thirdly, I'm addressing _this very issue_ in the next few chapters – give me a little credit as a writer. Now, I've had a dozen PMs saying people stopped reading the story because of that. While this saddens me greatly, I can't really say I'll miss those few readers. This story is way more successful than I anticipated when I started writing, so quite honestly, I'm perfectly content. If you can't overlook something like this – or wait for me to address it, then, again, this is probably not a good story for you. Your loss, not mine…**

**Now that we've got that out of the way, I'd like to address a reviewer (Jaely) who pointed out some inconsistencies regarding Rapunzel and her background: THANK YOU. Thank you for pointing this out to me. I completely overlooked this, to be honest, but I will make sure to address it in one of the following chapters and to smooth everything out so as to have it make sense again.**

**Little warning in advance: this chapter, as well as the next, is going to consist of people talking. A whole lot of talking. If you are more the action-oriented reader, that's a little unfortunate right now. The talking is pretty vital to understanding the story, so I wouldn't advise skipping these chapters. Well… I'd never advise skipping chapters, because that would just be weird…**

**And that marks the end of this excessively large Author's Note. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. Enjoy the new chapter, everyone!**

* * *

><p>It was exactly half past eight when an insistent knocking on the door woke Anna from her deep slumber. Her brain was slow to fill her in on the day, or the planned activities and appointments. She just wanted to lay her head down again. Surely whatever whoever had planned could wait just a few more minutes? But no, the knocking had to continue.<p>

"Whozit? Whaddayewan?"

"Miss Oaken? It's Kai. Queen Elsa asked me to remind you to meet her in the throne room at ten o'clock. She was very adamant about me informing you of this at least an hour in advance."

"She knows me too well…"

"What was that, Miss?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all. Could you send my servants in, please?"

"Of course."

As her servants filed into the room and started their chores – opening up the curtains, preparing her dress for the day, drawing her bath – Anna was actually grateful that Elsa had sent the Head Steward to wake her up way before she actually had to be anywhere.

She felt sluggish as she lowered herself in the bathtub. They would be meeting with experts on magic to figure out the relation between her and Elsa's ice. That ought to be interesting… Anna had been soaking in the scalding water for over fifteen minutes when she finally remembered the _other meeting_ they had planned for today.

As the memories about her and Elsa came flooding back, she jumped out of the bathtub and rapidly started towelling herself down. Today was the day! Today she and Elsa were going to talk! Today she could finally ask all her questions! Of course, there was no guarantee that Elsa would _answer_ all of her questions, but at least she'd get a chance to ask them. At least… she _would_ get to ask her questions, wouldn't she? What if Elsa just wanted to tell her a few things, and wouldn't accept any inquiries?

As she started mulling over that possibility, her actions slowed down again. She was vaguely aware of her servants, and the odd glances they sent at her. Most of them didn't feel comfortable enough around her to ask anything, though. Frida, the lead servant, was the exception.

"Anna, are you good? You look a little off today."

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I just… have a lot on my mind. That's all, really. I'll be fine."

Frida nodded. If Anna told her she was fine, then it wasn't her place to question any further. "Any preferences for your dress today?"

"The prettiest one we have," Anna muttered as she looked at the snow falling outside.

"Any special occasion?" Frida smiled.

"Maybe. I'm not sure yet."

"Well, Queen Elsa had a green dress made for you, reminiscent of the green summer dress… which she also had made for you," Frida wriggled her eyebrows at Anna suggestively. "Want to try it on?"

"That sounds… perfect," Anna said, a smile growing on her face halfway through.

And the dress turned out to be perfect indeed. Anna admired Elsa's immaculate taste – ranging from dresses to jewellery, if Elsa picked it, she was certain she'd wear it in a heartbeat. She made sure her servants fussed over her hair and make-up for a while, ensuring that everything would be perfect. When, in the end, she looked in the mirror, she appeared to be fit for a ball.

_Okay, so maybe we overdid it a little. A lot, even. But hey! It's not a crime to look good. Unless Elsa makes it a crime… That'd be awkward. I'd be thrown in the dungeon straight away if she did. Not that I'm saying I'm looking good – even though I am – actually, I'm not saying anything. I'm just thinking. And rambling. In my head. Which is not nearly as bad as doing it out loud, but it's still pretty bad and I should really stop now._

Anna thanked her servants and dismissed them, with the exception of Frida, who would be accompanying her today. Ten minutes before the clock struck ten, Kai knocked on the door again. "Miss Oaken, Queen Elsa has asked me to escort you to the throne room."

Anna followed Kai, and the seven guards, to the throne room, musing about the excessive amount of security Elsa had bestowed upon her. Kai led them past the corridor where the main entrance to the throne room was, and Anna was glad they would be making use of the off-limits back entrance. The corridor they had just passed was full with people – not all of whom looked savoury.

_Guess that explains the security detail…_

The throne room was empty when they walked in, but Kai assured her the queen would arrive any moment now. So they just stood, waiting in silence. Indeed, only a few minutes later, Elsa burst into the throne room.

"I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting, Anna. The merchant's council was determined to thwart me at every corner. Please, take a seat." To Anna's amazement, Elsa motioned towards the throne.

"Umm, Elsa?"

"Yes?"

"That's your throne."

"Yes."

Elsa waved her hands in a subtle motion, creating a second, more elaborate throne out of ice, right next to the traditional wooden one. "Kai, would you please arrange chairs for yourself and Frida? I would be remiss to keep you standing all morning."

Anna was amazed at Kai's abilities – he seemed to pull two chairs out of thin air. At least, that's what it looked like to her. She figured she would need some kind of expert vision to be able to determine from where he had taken them. She still found herself standing, though.

"Anna?"

"Yes?"

"You can sit down…"

"On your throne?"

"Yes." Elsa looked at her for a moment, before realisation dawned on her face. "Oh, Anna. Don't worry about it. We're in this situation together, and I want us to be seen as equals in this regard. You can sit on the throne, and I'll sit on the bigger throne. Just think of it as a… rather uncomfortable old wooden chair. That's not too far from the truth anyway."

Anna nodded and slowly lowered herself into the throne. It felt odd, being in Elsa's place. She could oversee the throne room in its entirety, but somehow it also felt like she had just taken on a responsibility. She knew that was just her imagination, but still…

"Why can't I sit in the ice chair?"

Elsa hesitated a moment. "Well, to be honest, the sensation of you touching my ice might be a little too… distracting. To me, I mean."

Anna blushed. She knew exactly what Elsa meant. It was easy to forget everything around you when that warm, pulsing sensation was throbbing through your body. _Come on, Anna. It's just a chair. Just a throne. In Arendelle's throne room. No biggie. You've got this._

"Alright, let's do this thing!" Anna exclaimed, a little louder than she had intended. Elsa just smiled and nodded to the guards near the door. They opened it, after which a man in a long black cloak marched in. He removed his hat from his head as he bowed before them.

"We hear you might have information about my magic," Elsa started. Anna couldn't help but admire the tone of authority and demand in her voice. This was an entirely different Elsa than the Elsa that read to her in the library. Completely different from the Elsa that had danced with her. Not different in a bad way. Never different in a bad way. Anna had come to the conclusion that she actually liked every part of Elsa. _Wait, that sounds like a really bad sexual innuendo. Good thing I did not say that out loud_.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the man said, rising to his feet again. "I believe that, with your abilities, you could achieve great things. Naturally, creating snow and ice is within the realm of possibilities. However, I think much more than that can be done. Scientifically speaking, your magic is capable of creating wind, altering weather patterns. With practice, you might even be capable of creating magnetic fields, or even electricity on its own."

"You are aware that magic does not equal science, correct?"

"Of course, Your Majesty. But some would say that magic is simply science we do not yet understand."

Elsa held out a hand, creating a little hedgehog. She released it and watched as it scurried across the throne room, occasionally bumping into a wall, rolling over itself, or performing other actions Elsa clearly did not intend for it to do. "Can you explain that?"

The man looked on in amazement. "No, Your Majesty. I fear I cannot."

"Then I'm afraid you cannot be of service. Nonetheless, I thank you for your time."

The man bowed deeply and took his leave. "Well, if all of them are going to be dealt with that quickly, we'll be done in no time," Anna smiled.

Elsa nodded. "Yes, but we would also not learn anything useful."

"True. Next one, then?"

The next expert Hans had brought to the castle was an old woman, dressed in plain clothes, bearing down on her walking stick heavily. "Your Majesty, may I be excused from bowing? The body is not in the condition I'd like it to be. Hasn't been for many years."

Elsa and Anna both nodded in unison. "Of course. Please, tell me what you can about my magic."

"Well, I know not much about your magic, really. But I do know something about magic in general. It is not known to many that there are different forms of magic. Although, I am certain you, as a possessor of magic, are aware of certain variations. Amongst those knowledgeable on the subject, your magic is seen as 'executive magic.' It is a power you can call on whenever you wish, and you can do so consciously. After having used the magic, you can also dispel it. Now, there are also less controllable forms of magic. Of these, I do not have examples."

Elsa looked at the woman, her brows slightly furrowed. "If I told you about a witch in a faraway kingdom, who turned a woman into a bear using a cursed cake, what would that be considered?"

The old woman frowned slightly. "I suppose the witch's magic would be executive as well, seeing as she has control over it. The cake itself, would probably be considered substantial magic – a substance or object imbued with it."

"And if I told you about a golden flower with healing powers, what would that be?"

"That would be considered environmental magic, Your Majesty, if such a thing exists. The source of it may or may not be executive magic – which really tends to be the catalyst for other forms of magic."

Elsa nodded. "And if this flower's power would be transferred to a human, who can call on it through a certain ritual, it would be executive power again, correct?"

"Very astute observation, Your Majesty."

Elsa nodded for a moment. "And what would you call a magic that cannot create anything of its own, but _can_ influence other magic?"

"I fear I do not understand the question, good Queen."

Elsa created a little bird, let it loose, and watched as it shattered itself against the wall. "I cannot control the life I create," she started, creating another bird. "But with the touch of my- Miss Oaken, I can." Anna stroked the bird, after which it flew off and landed on the woman's shoulder.

"I see… This is highly unusual. I, for one, have never heard of a form of magic that would do this. And, if I may say so, I am amongst the most knowledgeable of my peers. I am certain that Miss Oaken possesses _some_ power that, somehow, augments your own, Your Majesty. I assume that this did not happen with anyone else?"

"Indeed."

"Might I be so bold as to ask to touch young Miss Oaken's hand for a moment?"

Elsa looked at Anna, indicating that she left that decision to her. Anna, seeing no harm in it, got up from the throne and walked down the few steps separating them, holding out her hand. The old woman took it, surprisingly tenderly, and closed her eyes. They stood for that for a while, and Anna was starting to feel uncomfortable when the woman opened her eyes again.

"Thank you, my dear. There is something very odd about you. I can sense the Queen's magic even from down here. I could even sense her magic from the beyond those doors. I did not feel anything about you… not until I actually touched you. There is great power inside you, but in what form I cannot tell. I am sorry to disappoint."

"Not at all," Elsa smiled as Anna took her seat again. "You have been most helpful. You are welcome to stay the night at the castle before you travel back home, if you so desire."

A guard escorted the woman away, bringing her to the guest wing. When they were alone again, Anna turned to Elsa. "So… did Merida _really_ turn her mother into a bear?"

Elsa chuckled under her breath. "Accidentally, yes."

"And what was that about a golden flower?"

"Hmm," Elsa hummed. "You should probably ask Rapunzel about that whenever you find yourself with spare time on your hands. It is a remarkably interesting story."

Anna took a mental note to do just that when the guards let the next person in. He walked up to the dais, but did not bow.

"A commoner sitting on Arendelle's throne? This is unheard of! I demand an explanation!"

This time, Anna didn't even bother being indignant. She knew it wouldn't matter. Elsa would handle this. Elsa always took care of the situation when someone insulted her. Oddly enough, it filled her with a sense of satisfaction. And that was something she was not particularly proud of.

Frost crept across the floor, up the walls, and covered the windows. As sheets of ice grew in front of them, the light became filtered, making the throne room into a dismal space. Anna could see her breath fogging up the air every time she exhaled, but despite the fact that the guards near the door shivered, she hardly felt the cold.

Elsa had gotten up from her icy throne, now towering over the man at the bottom of the steps. He too was shivering, but Anna suspected it was out of fear, rather than cold.

"How dare you show such disrespect in _my_ castle. _My_ throne room. How dare you insult those I deem worthy of sitting in _my_ throne? What have you to say in your defence?"

Now the man was all too eager to bow done before them. "Nothing, Your Majesty. I underwent a grave mistake. I do beg your forgiveness."

The ice slowly crept back towards Elsa's feet as she reigned her anger in, returning to her normal queenly state. "Forgiveness is not mine to give. You insulted Miss Oaken, so you should beg for her forgiveness instead. Unless you think your noble blood makes you too superior to ask forgiveness from a farming girl?"

"Not at all, Your Majesty." He then turned his attention to Anna. "I was out of line, good lady. I do hope you might find it in your heart to oversee my mistake, and forgive my transgression."

Anna was blindsided by having to take the decision for a moment. She appreciated it – very much, in fact – but she had not expected it, and it took her a few moments to find the proper words. "I can. However, I don't think I feel much for hearing you out. With your Queen's permission, I suggest you leave this castle and make sure we don't see each other again."

The man looked over to Elsa again.

"You're lucky, Baron Almhart. Had the choice been mine, you would have spent the night in the dungeon. Seeing as Miss Oaken is more benevolent, I suggest you hightail out of here this very instant."

Once the doors were closed again, Elsa slumped in her throne, clutching her head with both hands and releasing a long breath.

"Are you alright?" Anna asked, concern thick in her voice.

"Yes. I did not expect any nobles to be visiting us here. This might actually turn into a political mess that will come back to bite me."

"I thought it was really cool, for what it's worth," Anna snickered. She blushed as she continued. "I sort of like how you always stand up for me, Elsa. Sure, you overdo it a bit sometimes, threatening kings and planning to throw noblemen in the dungeons. But still…"

Elsa smiled. "I wouldn't _actually_ have thrown him in the dungeons, though. That would have been a little drastic considering his transgression. I'd… probably have him placed in one of the less luxurious guest rooms and placed him under house arrest for a while."

"You can do that?"

"Of course. Why would I not be able to do that if I _am_ able to throw people in the dungeons?"

"Good point."

The next man that came walking in looked rather jolly. He was somewhat overweight, his face round and particularly red. All of his clothes were either yellow or bright orange, and before he was halfway down the throne room, Anna was already annoyed by the little bells on his hat. The man bowed in front of the dais.

"Your Majesty! My good Lady! It is such an honour to be here! Allow me to introduce myself, I am Octavienne de Barlois. Court sorcerer to the queen of France, expert astronomer, wizened sage of the Order of the Callipse, Master of the Revels, and, of course, your humble servant."

Elsa and Anna shot each other a quick glance. Clearly, they were both trying to hold back their looks of amazement and confusion. Anna was surprised to find that she was, for once, the first to recover.

"Very well, kind sir. Could you tell us what you know about the magic of the Queen of Arendelle?"

The man straightened again, puffing out his chest as he spread out his arms. "I know the past, the present, and the future of all things mystical."

Elsa looked sceptical. "Very well then. Where did my magic come from?"

"Ah! That is a most simple question, Your Majesty. When you were very young…"

"Yes?"

"You were kissed by a troll."

For a long moment, Anna just stared at the man, completely gobsmacked. Besides her, Elsa did not seem to be faring much better, and Anna was fairly certain Elsa had actually forgotten how her lower jaw functioned. Elsa recovered just in time, for had she not started talking, Anna would have started laughing way harder than was acceptable in company of others.

"Kissed? By a troll?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Thank you. You can leave now," Elsa said flatly. Then man, apparently blissfully unaware of their thoughts or opinions, curtsied deeply.

"I am glad I was able to be of service."

Once he was halfway on his way to the doors, Elsa opened her mouth again. "_Oh, monsieur De Barlois? La Reine Belle n'a pas un sorcier de la cour._"

The man straightened and hurried out of the throne room after that, almost running as he pushed through the large doors. Once the doors closed, Anna couldn't help herself and started laughing manically. "Oh by Odin! Elsa, why did you never tell me about this troll? I insist you introduce me to him!" she managed in between bouts of laughter. Next to her, Elsa was also snickering.

Once their laughter died down a little, Anna turned to Elsa again. "I didn't know you spoke French, Elsa. It's really sort of sexy." Her brain seemed a little slower than her mouth – which was usually the case with Anna – and it took her a while to realise what she just said. "I'm so sorry, that was totally awkward. I don't know why I said that!"

Elsa looked a little flustered. Okay, she looked more than a little flustered, really. It took her nearly a full minute before she shook her head. "T-that's alright, Anna. No harm done, really."

"Good. What did you tell him anyway?"

"I told him Queen Belle does not have a court sorcerer…"

That produced another snicker from Anna, although this one was much shorter. For that, at least, Anna was grateful. The next twenty so-called experts did not turn up anything useful. In fact, other than the old lady they had spoken to when they started, most everyone appeared to be conmen or glory-seekers.

Elsa glanced over to Kai, who was checking off names on a list. "How many more, Kai? I'm really done with this carnival."

"Only one, Your Majesty. Surely you can hear out one more?"

"Fine, fine. Send him in!"

The man that walked in was aged, but not elderly. His long, white-grey hair hung loose, reaching beyond his shoulders, and he wore the clothes of a simple farmer. Anna would know, her brother and father wore very similar rags.

"Your Majesty, it is an honour."

"You have information about my magic, sir?"

"Yes. And no."

Anna repressed the urge to roll her eyes. When he had walked in, she thought she felt something about him that led her to believe he might actually be worth something, but it appeared he was just another vague peasant looking for attention. _Whoa, Anna! You don't really have the right to call someone a 'peasant,' you know, being the daughter of a farmer yourself! Don't let the royalty get to your head…_

"You must understand, Your Majesty, magic is a very complicated business. I know very little about it, but I will share what I know. If legends are to be believed, all magic stems from a single source. Or several sources, no one is quite certain about the exact translation of the ancient texts. I know absolutely nothing about the source of your magic. Nor can I tell you anything about its relation to Miss Oaken. However… I do know a place where you might find the answers you seek."

"Go on…"

"Legend has it Arendelle has always been a place of magic. There is a temple complex near the North Mountain – I have seen it myself when this body was still strong. It is difficult to reach, but on the western flank of the mountain, you might find the answers you so desire."

Then, without awaiting a reply, the man curtsied and walked out of the throne room again. Anna wasn't certain what to think of the old man – he might just have been a mad old farmer. Or he might actually have known something. Elsa was silent for a few minutes, and looking at her face, Anna recognized that she was deep in thought.

"Kai… send word to Hans. If there is a temple on the western flank of the mountain, he should be able to find it. Or rather, have someone find it for him."

"Right away, Your Majesty."

Kai bustled off, and Anna watched him with amusement as he mumbled to himself. When she shifted her attention back to Elsa, the queen had closed her eyes and leant her head back as far is it would go. She also appeared to be holding her breath, which made Anna wonder.

"Uh, Elsa? What are you doing?"

Elsa released her breath and took another one. "Mental preparation."

"For… what?"

"One of the most awkward conversations I'm going to have in my entire life."

Anna didn't understand. What could possibly be so bad that Elsa needed to-

_Oh. Right!_

Elsa opened her eyes, got up, and disintegrated her icy throne. "Meet me in the library in half an hour?"

* * *

><p>When Anna came into the library, the fire was already burning in the fireplace, two cups of hot chocolate were standing on the small table, and the chairs had been turned towards the fire. Elsa, however, was nowhere to be seen. She knew it was ridiculous, but for a moment she feared Elsa might have decided that maybe, just maybe, this talk was not such a good idea.<p>

When the elegant blonde opened the library door and strode in as if she owned the place – _She sort of does, but never mind that… _- Anna was immensely relieved. Elsa sat down opposite her, and opened her mouth. Just then, however, she closed it again, not having uttered a word, and cocked her head to the side. She held up one finger to indicate Anna to wait, got up again, and walked over to the door.

"Merida, Rapunzel. If you want to admire art, go to the gallery… No, Merida, this painting is not so special as to warrant your loitering in this particular corridor… You know what, just take the painting and go bring it to the gallery. Yes. Thank you."

"No, thank you Gerda, we won't be needing anything. Really, there is no need to wait here. I'll send for you if we need anything. Yes, I am quite certain. _Goodbye_, Gerda."

"Hans, do you really expect me to believe you are here to find a book…? Fine, here's the key to the tower library, knock yourself out, brother. Yes. Indeed. Oh, you bet I'm trying to chase you off. Now shoo!"

"Kai, unless there's an army marching through my front gates at this very instant, your important business is going to have to wait. I will see to it as soon as I'm done here. Go! Fine, fine. I, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, first of my name, appoint Kai Erstadt, Head Steward of Arendelle Castle, to be the regent of Arendelle, city and kingdom, until such rights are revoked. There, now you are in charge. Go and… do whatever it is you wanted me to do. Yes, thank you."

"Guards! I want you to take up positions on both ends of the corridor. No one, and I mean absolutely no one, is allowed through. Miss Oaken and I are not to be disturbed until we've left the library. Under threat of… public flogging, or some other horrible punishment you can think of. Yes. Absolutely. Good."

Elsa closed the door, turned the key in the lock, and froze the lock over for good measure. Only then did she return to her seat and look at Anna. "I… I'm sorry about that. I preferred not to be disturbed… or have anyone eavesdropping."

"I understand. In fact, I think you handled them brilliantly," Anna smiled. "So… how are we going to do this?"

Elsa bit her lower lip, something Anna had come to regard as a nervous habit. "Well, I suppose I haven't been treating you very fairly… I've kept you out of the loop on some things you should have been made aware of… and I deliberately postponed this very conversation to give me a little more time to… prepare, and think things over. So I guess it is only fair that I allow you to ask questions. And then provide answers, of course."

Anna nodded for a moment. "Okay, that works for me…" There were so many questions fighting for her attention inside her head that she had trouble picking one. She scrunched her face up in thought for a moment. "What did you and my father talk about?"

Elsa chuckled, but there was absolutely no humour in it. "Dive straight into the awkwardness, why don't ye…" Elsa remained silent for a while after that, but Anna just took a sip from her hot chocolate and waited for the words to come. She knew they would, eventually.

"Well, your father and I discussed several things. I told him about your connection to my magic, and its importance to me personally and Arendelle as a whole. In light of that connection, I asked him if it was okay for you to… remain here… indefinitely." Elsa paused, letting her words sink in, before suddenly bolting up straight. "With which I don't mean to say I'm forcing you to stay here, of course. The choice is entirely yours, I just wanted to make sure that your father would be okay with it if you would decide to stay here and-" The onslaught of words stopped as suddenly as it had started. "Sorry. I'm… a little nervous, I believe."

Anna giggled. It was lovely to see the less composed side of Elsa for a change. "Don't worry Elsa. I'll stay here as long as you want me to. So… what else?"

Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly trying to get her thoughts in order again. After a while, Anna sighed. "Alright. Let's just leave that question for later, hm? Since it appears to be a difficult question to answer, I'll get back to it later."

"Anna, you don't have to-"

"I know, Elsa. But it's alright. I'll get my answer eventually, and maybe some of the other questions might, you know, serve to pave the way to the big one? I have no idea what the big one is, but for some reason, I know there _is_ a big one. So, next question! Uh, let's see… Ah, yes! Really, Anna? Why didn't you _start_ with this one. Seriously, you've-"

"You're supposed to be talking with me, not yourself. You know that, right?" Anna looked up at Elsa again and stuck out her tongue. "Why did you kiss me?"

"Well… there was mistletoe. And… you _did_ kind of force my hand on that one…"

Anna nodded. "Did it mean anything?"

Elsa seemed to think about that for a while. Anna didn't know why, but that didn't seem like a good sign. She really dreaded to hear Elsa say 'no,' but she had prepared for it, just in case.

"It's a difficult question," Elsa started. "At first I thought it didn't, since we only kissed because of the mistletoe… But then Merida and Rapunzel lectured me… and I came to realise that the cause of the kiss does not really change anything about its meaning… The only thing of importance is what one feels, I think. And… I don't know about you, but I definitely did feel _something_."

"Me too." The words blurted out of her mouth before she had even thought them. But they were true, so she didn't worry about that too much. Besides, they served to make Elsa smile, which couldn't possibly be a bad thing.

"Okay, more on that later. Why does everyone think we're getting engaged?"

That actually made Elsa smile. "Several reasons. Hans, Merida, Rapunzel, Kai and Gerda, Belle. They all seem convinced we _should_ get engaged. Mostly they think it because of us, though. It… isn't very common for a queen to take such a keen interest in anyone, so logically it resulted in some rumours… Rather persistent rumours…"

Anna nodded, but had a gnawing feeling somewhere inside her. She took a moment to reflect on it, find its source, and see what she could do about it. Elsa seemed perfectly content to just sit and wait for the next question, so Anna didn't hurry. After a while, she realised what the problem was. With all these questions, she was just running in circles. She didn't know what Elsa and her father had talked about, she knew they felt _something_, and she knew how the rumours came to be. But there, at the centre of the circle in which she ran, was the grand question. And there was no way to get an answer to it without making the both of them very, very uncomfortable.

_But it's a question that needs to be asked. Otherwise we'll always stay awkward around each other and then we'll never know. Besides, sometimes the benefits outweigh the risks, don't they… Well… Here goes._

"Would _you_ like us to be engaged?" Anna was absolutely positive that she had never before blushed as she blushed now. She could hear the blood rushing in her ears, feel her cheeks heat up, then her nose, her forehead. Even her throat became heated and itchy. And this heat, unfortunately, had nothing to do with the fire roaring next to her.

Elsa was undergoing a very similar process, she could see. Even in the poor light of the fireplace, she could see the redness spreading from her throat upwards. It was rather an enticing sight. And that thought only added to Anna's blush.

Elsa opened her mouth several times to answer the question, never quite finding the right words. "Elsa, it's okay… just… uh… you know. Start with a yes or no? And then… you can elaborate later."

Elsa closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then, barely audible, answered the question. "Yes."

Anna couldn't believe it. She had been preparing for this for days. She had dreamt about this very moment. But now that it was here, she was nevertheless completely taken by surprise. This was the queen of Arendelle she was talking to. She was a farming girl from Hellmark. Things like these happened in fairy tales. Not in the real world. And most certainly not in Anna's life.

"Anna? Please say something?"

"Oh! Right! Sorry. Uhm. Okay?"

"Okay?"

"Yes?"

"Yes?"

"God this is strange. Uhm. Good. I meant to say good. I'd very much like to be engaged to you too. Right. That was the right thing to say. By Loki that was awkward. I'm awkward, you're not. Okay. Good. Breathe. Yes. I'm not dreaming, right? Because if I am, I'm so going to be angry with you when I wake up."

"You're awake."

"So… you like me?"

"Yes. I do."

"As in… like-me like me?"

"If that means 'I want to get married to you' then… yes."

"Wow. Okay, right. That's out in the open now, which is good. So… now what?"

"I don't understand?"

"Are we engaged? Do we… need to sign something?"

Elsa giggled. "We're engaged, Anna." There was a short pause as Elsa's breath hitched. "Holy Asgard… We're engaged!"

Anna shook her head with a wry smile. "This is so weird… I feel like we're doing everything completely out of order…"

"We probably are. But to me… it feels right. I don't know how else to explain it…"

"Oh, I know exactly how you feel. So… tell me… since when did you, you know, feel like this?"

"Well… I got a crush on you when I saw you on the village square in Hellmark. That only worsened over dinner… and then you camped outside so I could sleep in your bed… But I didn't expect to see you again. Imagine my surprise when I saw you at the castle a few weeks later… during that dinner, everything… sort of exploded? Gerda knew exactly which dress would catch my attention. She knew exactly how I would prefer your hair… It was uncanny, really. By that time, Hans, Gerda and Kai had already caught on to my… inclination towards you."

"I actually dreamt about you when I slept in the field," Anna smiled, recalling the memory in which Elsa had kissed her. "It's pretty impossible not to fall in love with you, you know that?"

Elsa smiled shyly, which was an all too adorable sight.

"You know… this actually explains a lot. All the little quips. The kiss. All the gifts and attention. It all makes sense now… I assume your talk with papa had something to do with this as well?"

Elsa nodded. "I asked him for your hand, if you were to be amenable towards the proposal, of course. And since a marriage between the two of us would make your entire family into a noble House, there were some… technicalities."

"How did he respond?"

Elsa cocked her head to the side again. "He was… giddy. I never thought a man of his posture could giggle. He giggled. A lot. And… then he gave us his blessing…"

Anna smiled. "That's good…" Then she suddenly frowned. "Elsa… not to be rude or anything, but this feels really weird. Don't get me wrong, I would love to marry you… but it just doesn't feel…"

Elsa smiled and nodded. "I understand. It's all a little too sudden, I think. Luckily, we're only _engaged_. We can remain like that indefinitely. We won't even have to think about marriage for years, if we don't want to… So if that's what concerns you, you need not worry."

Anna smiled. "Great. So we can get to know each other a little better before... Before everything gets real... Then I have one question left…"

"Go ahead."

"Can I kiss my fiancée?"

Elsa's face sported a smile that was broader than any Anna had seen so far. "I thought you'd never ask…"

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><p><strong>Okay. This chapter is waaay long. I intended it to be shorter. If the length offends you, I'm really sorry. But rest assured I won't make a habit out of it. I think. In fact, this chapter was supposed to be even longer, but I figured this would be a good place to leave off for now. The next chapter will follow <em>immediately<em> after this one. As in, seconds after Elsa's final answer. It's already written.**

**As always, dear lads and lasses, comments and criticisms are always welcome. Do me a little favour and leave me a review if you enjoyed it. Or… if you didn't. Doesn't matter really, just… leave a review, please? :3**

**Oh! Almost forgot… I have a little question for all you lovely people. At some point while writing a story, an author needs to decide on a certain course when it comes to love-making. This story is either going to contain smut… or it isn't. That's a decision I'm leaving up to you, because it really doesn't matter all that much to me. Either is fine for me. Just… leave your thoughts somewhere where I am likely to find them (that being a review or a PM). Thanks in advance!**


	13. Chapter 13

**First, I'd like to thank everyone for their support. Before my previous chapter, I didn't really feel like writing anymore, but you people have definitely helped me through, and I'm back up to full speed. I promise this won't become a very long AN, but I want to drop a quick note on my updating schedule: It's best for you to just think I update randomly, because that's pretty close to the truth. I have three online stories, and four more stories in the wings for later, as well as university and work, so I won't always be able to update as fast as I'd like. I hope you all understand that. **

**Now, without further ado, enjoy the new chapter!**

**Also, don't forget to follow/fav/_review_ please! :)**

**Oh, and don't forget this chapter follows _immediately_ on the previous one, so you might want to re-read the ending bit of that one if you've forgotten! :)**

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><p><em>Oh by all the gods in the Asgardian pantheon, is this really happening?<em>

Elsa could only sit and watch as Anna slowly rose from her seat, took the two steps that separated them, and started bending forward with a shy little grin around her lips. Those lips would be on hers in mere seconds.

Elsa shouldn't have been surprised when Anna tumbled over, landing in Elsa's lap in a sprawled mess. It was, after all, the same clumsy Anna she had grown so fond of over the past few weeks. Anna giggled – another addition to the gallery of adorable things Anna did – and straightened herself.

"I guess that's one way to end on my lap," Elsa admonished with a smile. Anna didn't respond verbally, instead reaching her hand out to Elsa's cheek, cupping it gently as she moved her own head forward. Elsa closed her eyes in anticipation, and even though it didn't even last a second, the time it took for their lips to reach each other seemed like centuries.

But when they finally did, everything seemed to be right in the world. Elsa felt all the worries of the past weeks sliding of her shoulders as little lights started dancing behind her closed eyelids. Their lips remained still for a moment, both women getting used to the feeling, savouring it.

Anna's lips were soft, and incredibly warm. And oh so very pliant against her own. She reached out with her hand, cupping Anna's cheek in return as her other arm snaked around her waist, pulling her in closer. She really couldn't care less about propriety right now. Besides, she'd made sure everyone stayed clear from the library. Not with the intention of doing this, but it worked out well enough.

Anna deepened the kiss, growing more insistent as a tiny mewl escaped from her throat. And that, Elsa decided, was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. It beat singing birds and the wind blowing through the trees. It even beat Anna's adorable giggling. After some time, they were forced to part from one another, both panting and feeling the need to restock their supplies of air.

"Wow."

"Yes… that was… wow."

"So, uh… what do we do now? I guess there's a lot to be done, right?"

Elsa shook her head. "Not if we're taking this slow," Elsa replied hesitantly. "We'll just need to send word to your family. We don't need to announce it to the council yet. Or the entire kingdom, for that matter. Especially if we're planning on being engaged for a… longer time than usual."

"No!"

Elsa frowned in confusion. "No?"

"No. This is going to sound really odd, I think… But I want people to know. I mean… it's not like we're doing it behind anyone's back, right? We're both adults… and since the rumours are already there… we might as well just outright tell them… Or am I missing something here?"

Elsa wavered for a moment. "No… you're right. And if the two of us doesn't pan out, we can always just annul the engagement. But I have a feeling that won't be necessary…"

"Good," Anna smiled, winking at her. "In that case I suppose we have some work to do?"

Elsa nodded. "That we do, yes." Elsa shifted a little under Anna's weight.

The redhead immediately jumped to her feet. "Right! Sorry, propriety needs to be observed. I'll be a proper lady from now on!"

Elsa snickered a little. "Anna, propriety was the least of my worries. But, now that you're standing, we might as well get things moving."

Anna nodded fervently. "Right. Let's go tell the masses! Ring the bells! Do whatever queens do when they get engaged!"

Elsa laughed softly as she opened the library door again. "Guard. Go find Kai. He should be… somewhere right around the corner, probably…"

Surely enough, Kai came hurrying down the corridor mere seconds after the guard had turned the corner. "Your Majesty, you had sent for me?"

"Yes, Kai. I have a few things I need you to do." Elsa quickly glanced at Anna, who gave her an almost imperceptible nod. "First I need you to find Rapunzel, Merida, Belle, Hans and Gerda. Bring all of them to my study, please. Then I need you schedule a meeting with the Grand Council for later today… actually, make that tonight. Somewhere after dinner should be good. Once that is done, I need you to ride to Hellmark, and bring Anna's family back here post-haste. Mr. Oaken will probably know what is going on, so you won't actually need to convince him. Once they are here, make sure to get rooms for them, and inform me immediately."

"Of course, Your Majesty. If I may be so bold, does this mean…?"

Elsa took a deep breath. _Here goes, no way back now…_ "Yes. Anna and I are engaged."

She was a little surprised to find Kai bouncing up and down like a little kid in a candy store, clapping his hands and smiling all the while. "Kai, your duties?"

"Yes, right away! Your Majesty, Your Highness," he curtsied before running off.

Elsa looped her arm through Anna's, noticing how she seemed to have turned radiant after she'd delivered the news to Kai. "I hope you don't mind telling our royal gossipers before we can tell your family?"

Anna laughed softly. "The only way to get out of that is avoiding them altogether until Papa and Kristoff are here. So, let's go to your study, shall we, _my Queen_?"

A shiver ran down Elsa's spine at the final two words. Somehow, Anna made it sound like a term of endearment, but there was also a hint of something else in her voice. Something Elsa could not quite place. "Let's. We can discuss a few things on the way there. You'll need a personal servant, a permanent one. I would assume you'd prefer Frida?"

"If I can, then yes…"

"Very well. You'll also need a personal guard, Anna. You probably don't know many of the guardsmen around here, but I'd be more than happy to introduce you to a few suitable candidates…"

Anna pondered on that for a while. "Actually, Elsa… I don't know how all of this works, but the man in charge of my protective detail… I think his name was Orvik? Can I get that one?"

Elsa nodded, smiling down at Anna. "You can get everything and anything you want. Also… I've been thinking…"

"Yes?"

"We are engaged, but we don't have… you know… rings."

Anna frowned. "Right… hadn't thought about that. What do you propose?"

"Well… We could go and have some made by one of the craftsmen in the city… Or I could see if I can make something with my – our – magic?"

"Oh, do the magic! Do the magic!" Anna looked so enthused that Elsa had a hard time refusing her. Thus, they found themselves in the middle of a corridor, both hunched over slightly, staring intently at Elsa's hands as she fashioned two delicate rings out of sparkling blue ice, making sure to follow Anna's every direction to the letter.

"Won't this be too distracting? You know, the constant feeling of me touching your eyes?" Anna asked with concern.

"I think it'll be fine. It's only a little bit of ice. Nothing I can't handle. Nothing like you sitting on a throne made out of ice..." Elsa replied sheepishly.

Anna furrowed her brows. "Wait... is this the reason you had me sit on your throne this morning? Because of the engagement plans?"

Elsa hesitated slightly. "Well... technically, there were no engagement plans until a few minutes ago... But yes, I was hoping to... you know... sort things out a little."

Nearly fifteen minutes later, they finally walked into Elsa's office, not at all surprised to find everyone already seated there, looking on with anticipation. Before Elsa could even say anything, Rapunzel started squealing like a pig getting ready for slaughter.

"I knew it! I knew it! Oh, I so called it! You all owe me!"

Elsa cocked an eyebrow as she watched Eugene roll his eyes, Merida lean back with an indignant huff and Hans lower his head into his hands. "Do I even want to know?" Elsa asked, half-joking.

Anna smiled warmly at her. "They had a bet going… about our engagement."

Elsa looked at them all incredulously. "Seriously? You were betting on… Why didn't you… I really think… Fine. Yes, Anna and I are engaged." _It still sounds so very weird…_

There was a round of cheers and everyone moved in to congratulate them, burrowing Elsa and Anna under tons of statements like 'about time' and 'I knew this would happen' and 'I'm so happy for you two.' After a while, everyone settled down to hear the details.

"Well, I'd go into the events of the past few days, but most of you were part of that, so I won't even bother," Elsa started. "I suppose all you need to know for now is that we've decided to have a longer engagement period before the actual marrying than usual – despite our feelings we are, technically, still, more or less, strangers to each other. Also… Anna's family doesn't know yet, Kai should be bringing them back here as we speak. I'd like to invite all of you to dine with us tonight, if that's okay with you, Anna?"

Anna nodded, looking at her with visible admiration.

"Okay. Anna and I will be talking to the Grand Council after dinner-"

"Good luck with that," Hans interrupted. "I doubt those old geezers are going to be happy about this."

"They're not all bad," Elsa admonished. "Some of them will be happy for us. After the Grand Council, we'll be making the public announcement to the castle staff."

Gerda nodded excitedly. "What about the kingdom, if I may ask, Your Majesty?"

Elsa looked at Anna. "When do you want to do the balcony speech?"

"We could do it tomorrow? Right? Around noon, perhaps?"

Gerda piped up. "Excellent. Very good judgment, Miss- Uh… Your Majesty, I'm not certain about the conventions…"

Elsa smiled. "She's still Miss Oaken – nothing has been signed yet. Though, if I know her as well as I hope I do, she'd be fine being called Anna."

Anna nodded vigorously. "As long as I don't have a title, you can call me Anna. I know you wouldn't feel comfortable addressing me as such when I'm officially nobility, but we'll tackle that issue when we get to it."

"Very well, Anna," Gerda smiled. "I'll make sure the entire city knows to be at the southern square at noon tomorrow."

"Thank you, Gerda."

The amenable chatter continued for an hour or so, until Merida eventually got to her feet and jumped onto a chair. "Alrighty folks! 'Tis time we all go, and give the lasses some time on their own, aye?"

Elsa assured everyone that they'd see each other at dinner, after which they all trailed out of the office, returning to whatever business they had been attending to when Elsa had summoned them. Elsa and Anna sat in silence for a while, just looking at each other with silly grins on their faces. After a while, Elsa collected her thoughts and called a servant in.

"Go find Commander Orvik and a servant girl named Frida – you'll probably find the latter in or near Miss Oaken's chambers. Tell both of them the queen needs them in her study immediately."

The servant left again, and Anna chuckled dryly. "They're going to think they are in so much trouble, being summoned like that…"

"Yes, I'm aware. But I can't go around telling any and all servants about our engagement. Not until we've done the general announcement to castle staff."

"There are going to be a lot of announcements going around, aren't there?" Anna asked smugly.

"Just be glad we can send messengers to the villages, rather than informing them all personally."

Anna suddenly started laughing. "I wonder what they'll say in Hellmark. 'Did you hear? Little Anna Oaken marrying the queen!' I can hear them gossiping all the way from here."

They shared another laugh at that, until a knock on the door signalled someone's arrival. "Enter," Elsa called with her queenly voice.

Frida came shuffling in, incredibly awkwardly and tense at first, but immediately relaxing when she saw Anna in the study as well. "Your Majesty had sent for me?"

"Yes. Please take a seat. Everything we're going to tell you has to remain a secret for the time being."

"You have my word."

"Good. Anna and I… we are engaged. That means Anna will become nobility, eventually even royalty, and she'll need a long-term personal servant. Anna has requested you for the job. If you were to accept-"

"Yes, Your Majesty. It would be an honour."

Elsa smiled. Despite the interruption, she couldn't really blame the girl. She took a quill and scribbled some instructions for Gerda on a piece of paper. "Go and find Gerda. Give her this, and she'll see to it that everything is taken care of. After that, I want you to return here. From the moment of your return, you'll be in Anna's service, and I expect your utmost dedication. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Of course."

"Very well. Please send Commander Orvik in on your way out."

The bulky commander came shuffling in much like the smaller servant girl had, a look of uncertainty and confusion showing he felt like a fish on dry land.

"Please, Commander, take a seat," Elsa said, still bowed over her desk, but trying to sound reassuring nonetheless.

The man sat down, switching his gaze from the queen to her esteemed guest. "Your Majesty, to what do I owe this… summons?"

Elsa looked up and smiled. "No need to worry, Commander. I might have an assignment for you, that's all."

The Commander relaxed visibly as Elsa continued. "You cannot tell anyone yet, but Miss Oaken and I have finalized our engagement earlier today. The announcements will be made later today and tomorrow. I'm certain you'll understand that, as a noblewoman, and later as Princess-Consort of Arendelle, she'll need a personal guard."

The man nodded, not interrupting his liege.

"You've been tasked with ensuring Anna's safety during the Yule celebrations, and Anna has requested you for a more permanent assignment. I know that not all military men are eager to perform, what they call, babysitting assignments, so I'd like to hear your opinion."

"I would be honoured to protect Lady Oaken, Your Majesty. With my life, if the need were to arise. She has shown remarkable personality and kindness to anyone she encountered, and I cannot think of many who deserve the protection more. However, I would not be able to fully perform this assignment on my own."

"I'm aware. You can pick up to ten men from wherever you desire. Kai will oversee the paperwork and inspect the men you've chosen, so report to him when you are ready."

"Of course, Your Majesty. And… congratulations to you both on your engagement."

Once they were alone again, Anna turned to Elsa hesitantly. "Elsa? Can I ask a few questions? About... all of this?"

"Of course, Anna."

"Will I live here, in the castle?"

"If you want to, yes."

Elsa could only watch as Anna crossed her arms and huffed playfully. "Elsa, we're engaged! Neither of us is enslaved... I want to know what _you_ want just as much as the other way around. So... do you want me to live here in the castle?"

Elsa laughed a little under her breath. "Yes, Anna, I would love for you to live here with me. Naturally, being the queen more or less prohibits me from moving anywhere else..."

Anna nodded. "That's settled then. I'll live here. But uh... what would I do? Do I get duties, or am I supposed to just sit in my room staring at paintings and brushing my hair all day? If that's the case, I'm going to have some objections."

Elsa felt het brows knitting together as she thought about the question. "Well, as my fiancée you don't necessarily have _duties_, but I'm sure I can saddle you up with some work, if you want to? What would you like to do?"

"I want to help you!"

"Okay... Let's see... You'll have as much power as I lend to you, being well on your way to being Princess-Consort. You won't get any executive powers of your own unless you become Princess-Regnant, which would basically make you my co-ruler. But that's something to be discussed later, if you're interested. What are you good at, Anna? I can't just assign you some job you have no experience in..."

"At the farm I used to keep track of the finances for Papa, and I always handled the communication with the shopkeepers in the village – the ones that bought our products."

Elsa smiled. _That I can work with... Now, where did Kai keep those papers? _She rummaged through the drawers of the desk for a while, after which she moved to the shelves lining the walls. Eventually, she found the folder she was looking for. "I think I have some duties that might interest you, Anna," she smiled. "I think you'll-"

A resolute knocking to the door interrupted her. "Your Majesty?"

"Come in, Kai."

"The good sirs Oaken have arrived. They are rather insistent on seeing the two of you straight away. Well, mostly the younger sir Oaken, I must say. He appears to be rather worried."

"Yes, Kai, please bring them here," she replied, smiling as Kai nodded and walked away again. She then turned to Anna. "I think you should be the one to tell them... They are your family, after all."

Anna nodded, looking both very eager and incredible anxious about the revelation. Those looks only increased when her family shuffled into the study. Asger looked content and slightly agitated, but Kristoff looked completely aghast – Elsa gathered that his father had not told him anything about their conversation.

"Gentlemen, please have a seat," Elsa smiled as Anna's servant stepped in, closed the door, and stood behind her mistress. "I'm very sorry for calling you here on such short notice, but there is some business that really cannot be put off. Thank you for coming with such haste."

Both men nodded, shifting to the edge of their seats. Elsa shot Anna a quick glance, raising her eyebrows and smiling encouragingly. She watched as Anna took a deep breath.

Rather than actual words, a high-pitches squeal was the first sound to erupt from Anna's mouth, after which she quickly covered it. "I'm sorry. That was weird. Uhm, so yeah. This is going to be even weirder… Elsa – Queen Elsa, I mean… - Well, the two of us are… kind of… engaged?"

_Not exactly the way I would have handled it,_ Elsa mused. _But at least it's out there now_…

She watched amusedly as the giant bear of a man started giggling again, clapping his hands in glee. It was clear from whom Anna had learned some of her mannerisms. Although it fitted Anna perfectly, it looked rather out of place on such a large, rugged man. His son's reaction was one of… Well, Elsa wasn't sure how to describe it.

Kristoff sat with his eyes wide and his mouth open, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings, and looking as if he could tumble from his chair any moment. Elsa wasn't sure whether he was taking the news well, and had she been able to foresee _this_ she would have made sure to call the court physician beforehand.

Anna didn't seem bothered, though, as she nimbly jumped out of her chair and flicked her brother's nose with her fingers, causing him to flinch and clutch his face. "Auch! What did you do that for?"

"You were doing _it_ again. The wide-eyed, open-mouthed staring thing… You know, the one you get when you overload your brain?"

"Well, can you blame me? My baby sister just told me she's going to marry the Queen and become a princess! What would you have done if _I_ told you I was engaged to the queen?"

Anna snorted. "Get very jealous, probably. You know, seeing as she's _my_ fiancée…"

Kristoff chuckled a little. "Fair enough. When I warned you not to be mistaken for royalty I was joking, though… I didn't think you'd actually become royalty… This is a little unexpected. Papa should have told me…"

"No, no!" Asger yelped. "I didn't know for certain, hm? Queen Elsa asked my permission, ya? But that was all!"

"Oh, come on! We both knew Anna fancied her! Surely you knew she would say yes, that's not an excuse at all!"

The two men continued their squabbling for a few minutes, and Elsa stifled a giggle as Anna gave her a look that was at the same time exasperated and apologetic. After a while, Elsa cleared her throat, recapturing their attention. "I suppose your surprise is only logical, considering our own surprise in the matter. We remained… largely unaware of our feelings towards one another for quite a while – even though half the kingdom had apparently already made up their minds about our engagement. For the time being, however, we will _remain_ engaged. We feel that it would be beneficial for us to use our engagement period to get each other to know a little better…"

Both men nodded. Elsa procured a few documents from the bottom drawer. "Being the queen more or less prevents me from keeping something like this under the lid, so we will have to make a series of announcements. Logically, we wanted you to hear the news from us, rather than a town crier. That would have been… unfortunate. We will be announcing our engagement to my regency council tonight, and to the city tomorrow, after which messengers will be sent to all the outlying cities and villages. There are some... legal issues to work through before that, though... I've already discussed the majority of these with your father…"

Folding the papers open and spreading them out over the desk, Elsa waited until everyone had gathered. "First, Anna and I will need to sign our engagement declaration," Elsa explained, pointing to the first document, after which she had to stop Anna from lurching at the quill – knocking an inkwell to the ground in the process.

"Sorry," the energetic woman muttered bashfully.

Elsa just laughed as she shrugged it off. "I have plenty more of those, don't worry. Anyway, as soon as that document has been signed, the Oaken family will officially become nobility – House Oaken of Hellmark. There is some leeway in the actual title you will receive, but I have these documents written up to make you both Dukes."

"What about me?" Anna immediately piped up. "I won't be a princess until we're married, right? So what am I until then?"

Elsa reached out for another document. "I you sign this, you'll be Duchess of Hellmark, Countess of the western district and Baroness of Arendelle – the capital city, not the kingdom. Once we're actually married, Princess-Consort will be added to the list."

"Whoa, that's a lot," Anna muttered under her breath.

"Yes, well… you _are_ engaged to the queen," Kristoff chuckled, poking Anna in her side, eliciting a loud yelp and a tumbling chair.

"Is all of this… agreeable?" Elsa asked. "If not, we can make adjustments to ensure-"

"Everything is perfect, Elsa," Anna interrupted, gently placing her hand on her arm. "I'm sure papa and Kristoff are fine with anything…"

Both men nodded. "Very well then. Let's see… right, the house seal. Uh, for Anna's stay here I created a temporary seal depicting a griffin. Would you prefer a new one designed, or will you be using the existing one."

"Hands off of my griffin!" Anna growled to her family, who immediately accepted. Elsa got the feeling that neither of them cared very much for their seal, and were all too happy to let Anna handle the details of the founding of their house.

"Good. Then, I believe the urgent business is all handled. If you'd please sign the documents, I can have them added to the archive."

Everyone signed the necessary documents after Elsa pulled a new inkwell from one of the cabinets behind her desk. Once it was all stacked and bundled again, Elsa called for Kai to enter, who had been waiting outside the door. "Please make sure this is all in the right place, Kai."

There was a short silence as Kai looked at the papers, accepted them, and curtsied. "Of course, Your Majesty. Milady. M'lords."

Elsa couldn't supress the giggle that rose from her throat as she looked at the reactions of the new nobles at actually being addressed as such. "Don't worry, you grow used to it. I'll make sure news of the founding of a new house is spread as necessary. Now, if you would not mind terribly, Anna and I have some further business that needs discussing. However, I'd like to invite you to dinner with some friends tonight. I'm certain your servants will see to your every need."

Anna waited for them to leave before she started talking. "Oh, they're going to be so incredibly uncomfortable having dinner with royalty!" she giggled excitedly. "Now, what did we need to discuss?"

"Not much… But you said you wanted to have some duties, so there's that…"

"Right! Let's do this then!"

Elsa couldn't help swooning at Anna's excited demeanour. "You really are too adorable for your own good, Anna," she muttered before planting a kiss on the girl's cheek. "And I'm eternally grateful for being allowed to kiss you now. I've had to hold back on it so often…"

Anna's face split into a sly grin. "Really now? Like when?"

"When you came for my band during the treasure hunt. When we walked back to the castle. When I walked you to your room. During the banquet. While dancing at the ball. During the representatives' ball. When I saw you before your first dinner at the castle… I'm sure I'm forgetting most of them, though."

Anna blushed a deep scarlet. "I wanted to kiss you very often too," she muttered, looking at her feet.

"And now you can," Elsa smiled. "But let's get our business done first, shall we?"

"That's probably best, yes."

"I was thinking you could be _hofsjeff_, or Lord Chamberlain_, _if you'd like…"

"Uh, sure, I think? What does it mean, though?"

"Basically, it would make you responsible for everything going on inside this castle. All of the household expenses, servants and their duties, things like that. You'd be working with Kai and Gerda a lot, and they would also ease you into the function."

"Okay, that sounds… like a lot. Are you sure you trust me with your money?"

"I'd trust you with my life, Anna. Surely, my money shouldn't be a problem. Besides, like I said, Kai and Gerda will be mentoring you for a while first."

"Right. Sure. I can do that."

"Furthermore, if you want, you can take on some of my meetings with the townsfolk. Merchant's Council, Council of Crafts, and the likes. Just talk to them about how everything is going, and report to me when we need to undertake action. Think you are up for that, too?"

"I won't be doing it alone, right?"

"Not at first, no. Kai will be helping with that as well. But… it would lighten my schedule a little if you were to take these meetings for me."

Anna nodded. "I'm all over it, moondrop!"

"Moondrop?"

"Yes. Moondrop! I need a pet name for you. Your hair and skin are like... Don't argue it! It is perfect!"

"If you say so…" Elsa replied hesitantly. _Just… don't do that in public, please?_

* * *

><p>Dinner with their friends and family had been a lovely and relaxing time. Nothing, Elsa reflected, like the meeting with the council that was about to start. She noticed that some of the councilmen were glaring at Anna maliciously – something she would make sure they weren't going to make a habit of. Others seemed quite content or even amiable towards her presence.<p>

Once everyone was seated around the large table, and Anna and Elsa had taken their seats in the thrones at the head, Elsa cleared her throat. "Councilmen. Allow me to introduce you all to Lady Anna of House Oaken, Duchess of Hellmark, Countess of the West, Baroness of Arendelle… and my fiancée."

The council erupted in chaos. Some men congratulated them, while others got up from their chairs and started objecting. "Gentlemen!" Elsa snapped. "The engagement papers have been signed. It is all official. Frankly, I do not really care whether you agree with the decision or not. The decision was mine to make, and it is _final_. Furthermore, Lady Anna will also be the acting Lord Chamberlain of Arendelle Castle, starting immediately after Yule."

"Your Majesty, this is outrageous! I mean no disrespect to either of you, but you're the Queen and she's a farmer. You _can't_ marry her, the notion in itself is preposterous. And giving her control over the castle's finances? Did your parents teach you nothing, Elsa?"

Elsa got to her feet with so much force that her throne was shoved backwards a little. "My parents taught me plenty, _Arnoud_. They taught me that it was wrong to love women, just because I am one myself. They taught me that I had to hide my magic. They taught me I was a monster that should be hidden away as much as possible. So I would advise against bringing _their_ opinions and rules into this debate. And if you dare forget my title one more time, I will ensure you no longer _have_ a title. Do I make myself clear?"

The man nodded, suddenly a few shades paler than before.

"Good. Now, Lady Anna has experience handling finances, and will be aided by Kai, so there is nothing to worry about. Does anyone else wish to express any concerns or other issues that need to be addressed?"

One of the men rose to his feet. "First of all, Your Majesty, Milady, congratulations on behalf of House Armen. I was merely wondering when the marriage ceremony will be held?"

"We've decided to hold off on the actual marriage for the time being," Elsa explained, easing herself back into her throne. "We are both young and feel there is no need to rush matters along."

The councilman nodded and sat back down, after which several others congratulated them on behalf of their houses. Three of the councilmen, however, refused to rise or partake in the following discussions. When all the affairs had finally been settled, Elsa addressed them.

"Gentlemen, you've been conspicuously silent during this meeting. Care to explain why you choose to neglect your duties?"

"It is not I who neglects my duties, Queen Elsa. Frankly speaking, I believe _you_ are the one neglecting your duties. Had you married a prince – possibly Prince Hans, you would have been able to strengthen our ties to another kingdom."

"Besides," the second man continued, "This abomination of a marriage will not produce any offspring. You will have no lawful heir to the throne. Do you really want to leave Arendelle in such a vulnerable position?"

"Not to mention what others will think. A marriage between women, not even mentioning the social statuses, is an abomination in the eyes of God," the eldest elaborated. "Our people will riot when they hear. Kingdoms will annul their treaties with us. Neighbours will boycott our trade."

Before Elsa could respond, Councilman Armen rose again. "Your Majesty… House Armen would like to propose removing the Houses of Ordin, Leidorf and Arn from the Grand Council."

Another man immediately rose. "House Almstein supports this motion, Your Majesty." Soon, the majority of the council had gotten to its feet, spurring Elsa and Anna to rise as well.

"On what ground does House Armen propose this motion?"

"Disrespecting of our monarch, and the resulting gross neglect of their duties as representatives of the people. Clearly, they are not in touch with the community, or they would know that your marriage has the support of the majority of the people."

Elsa turned to Anna, who bit her lower lip, but gave a slow and measured nod at the same time. "Very well. House Ordin, House Leidorf, House Arn – by common will of the Grand Council, and by the power invested in me, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, I relieve you of your duties on this council. You may now leave."

As the men left and everyone took their seats again, Elsa stared at the three empty chairs. "During our next meeting, we will discuss who will come to replace the dismissed houses," Elsa proclaimed. "As for the issue that was raised earlier: I will ensure that adoption laws are adjusted in such a way as to make an adopted child between Lady Anna and I as much a legal heir as a biological child would be. Any objections?"

Councilman Armen rose again. "I believe that to be most acceptable, Your Majesty. Returning to the issue of the dismissed houses, though, with your permission? I think it is safe to say that House Oaken will play a large role within Arendelle from here on out. Therefore, I suggest a member of that house, be it Lady Anna or any other, be one of the replacements."

Elsa nodded. "Your proposition has been noted. I'm certain we will discuss it at great length during our next meeting."

Elsa dismissed the council, and she and Anna didn't wait for them to leave before they rose from their thrones and left the room themselves. Their arms looped together, they walked through the corridors towards Anna's chambers. They were both aware of their bodies being pressed together more closely than they had been on previous occasions, their hips swaying in tandem as Anna rested her head on Elsa's shoulder.

They didn't discuss anything that had transpired during the day. Neither the Grand Council, nor their engagement seemed important at this moment. They just wanted to enjoy each other's company for a while longer, before retiring for the night. Eventually, they reached the door to Anna's chambers.

"So, for propriety's sake, I assume this is goodbye?"

Elsa cocked an eyebrow. "Anna, propriety does not dictate that I cannot _enter_ your room. It just dictates we don't sleep together before we're married. If you want, I can come in for a little while?"

Anna nodded shyly, opening the door and ushering Elsa in. Frida and two other servants were working around the chamber.

"Frida, Tove, Alise, you can retire for today," Elsa said casually. "I'll make sure Anna doesn't run amok tonight."

One of the servants dropped the duster she had been holding as the others just stared at her in disbelief. "Y-Your Majesty?"

"Hm, yes? Is there something amiss?"

Anna giggled. "No, Elsa. They're just a little overwhelmed by the fact you know their names."

"Oh… right. I… did some research last night. I figured that if you knew your servants, there wasn't really a reason for me not to know mine. Regardless, ladies, you can leave for today."

Anna flopped down on the bed. "So does this mean you're going to draw me a bath again? Because it's been the most important topic of conversation amongst my servants today…"

"Most certainly, Milady." It took Elsa only a few minutes to get the bath ready for Anna, and she made sure to remain out of her way while she prepared herself for bath. When Anna had finally lowered herself into the bathtub, Elsa looked around her bedroom. She noticed several books from her library neatly placed on the reading shelf – apparently Anna had made use of the key she had been given.

When Anna finally stepped out of the bathroom over half an hour later, dressed in a green silk nightgown, she looked at Elsa. "You're still here?"

"You make it sound like that's a bad thing, Anna," Elsa rebuked immediately.

"No, no! Not at all. I just didn't think you'd wait here all this time. I figured you would have left for your own chambers by now."

"Of course I waited. I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye," Elsa explained as Anna sat down in front of the vanity and took the silver hairbrush from a drawer. With two purposeful steps, she ended up behind her, reaching out for the brush herself. "May I?"

Wordlessly, Anna handed her the brush, and Elsa started pulling it through Anna's copper hair, making sure never to pull too hard. After a few strokes, Anna closed her eyes and released a long, content hum. Elsa kept brushing for some time longer, even after all the tangles had been removed.

"I think that's as good as it gets, sunshine," she sighed eventually.

"No need to sound so sad about my hair. It's bad, but not _that_ bad."

"Your hair is perfect, Anna. Everything about you is."

"I have freckles!"

"Which are very cute…"

"Hmpf. Fine. Then why so sad?"

"I'm not sad… I just don't want to leave yet."

"Oh, you're not going anywhere until I'm asleep, moondrop…" Anna said, half-joking, half-threatening. "You could read to me?"

"Gladly."


	14. Chapter 14

**A little later than I had actually intended, but I got a little caught up in another's story, which I enjoyed a little too much (read: I've read it six times in two days, and it's a _long _one too, so yeah) so that's the reason this is a little later. Please, do forgive me. As always, I'd like to thank everyone for their incredible support. This story is becoming a lot more succesful (and larger) than I had ever anticipated! Special thanks go to everyone who has left me a review - you people are seriously the best ever to exist. So, for those who didn't review, now you know what to do :3**

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><p>"Stop fidgeting, Eugene. There's nothing to worry about. It's not like Mother and Father are going to convict you for being a thief or anything. They allowed you to marry me, what are you still so afraid of?" Rapunzel asked, shooting her husband an irritated glance.<p>

"I'm not afraid!" he replied semi-confidently. "Just anxious to know what urgent business they have to discuss this early in the morning. That's all."

That was actually a fair question, Rapunzel thought. The sun was barely out, yet her father had called them both to his chambers to discuss politics. Discussing politics was not uncommon for them, but the early hour was a little concerning. She felt herself tense a little as her parents took a seat on the couch across from them.

Her mother, of course, immediately noticed. "There's no need for you to worry, love," she assured them, nudging her husband onwards.

"Of course not. We just wanted to suggest something. Ask a favor, in a way, if you will."

Rapunzel nodded. Her parents didn't ask her to get involved in politics very often, and she knew that whenever they did, it was usually out of necessity. "What is it, Father?"

"Your mother and I are worried about the war up north… Corona won't be affected, probably. We have complete faith in Queen Elsa handling the situation, especially with all the foreign help she's acquired… Still, we feel it would be prudent to keep an eye on the situation…"

There was a slight lull during which no one talked, and her father's attention was directed at the snow accumulating on the windowsill. "Your mother and I need to return home tomorrow. We can't leave the kingdom in our advisor's hands much longer… We'd like to ask you two to stay behind in Arendelle for a while. Until all of this blows over… Make sure that we get all the crucial information, command the Coronan troops assisting Arendelle… Showing our involvement to Queen Elsa…"

Rapunzel felt her husband squeezing her hand softly twice. "We can do that," she replied without hesitation, knowing that her husband agreed. Her parents looked surprised at her immediate acceptance.

"You understand that we don't know for how long this situation will last, right? You might not be able to come home for some time," her mother explained.

"We know. But our kingdom needs us to do this. Arendelle needs us. _Elsa_ needs us."

Her father nodded gravely. "Very well put, my dear. We'll discuss the arrangement with Queen Elsa later today, if she has time for us after all the announcements she'll be making today."

"Speaking of which," her mother immediately fell in, "what can you tell us about her fiancée? Besides her lack of heritage and certain reproductive parts..."

"Mom!" Rapunzel squealed. "That's none of your business!"

"Oh, come on, love. We both know how much you like to gossip. _Everyone _knows."

"Fine, fine. Elsa met her during a tour of the kingdom. She stayed at their farm, and if I'm not mistaken Anna offered her bed to Elsa, sleeping outside herself. A few weeks later she was suddenly here, at the gates, attacking a guard with a hairbrush. Elsa spent some time with her, but sent her home shortly before Yule. Merida and I had to force her to get her back here and declare her feelings. She's such a stickler sometimes, you know? She kept complaining about her being from a farming family and her being a girl…"

Her mother chuckled grimly. "Good thing you were there to help her then. Lady Anna seems like a lovely young lady for the queen."

* * *

><p>"Stop fussing, Milady," Frida muttered for the umpteenth time. "Your hair is perfectly fine."<p>

"I can't help it! I'm nervous, and I fuss when I get nervous!" Anna growled under her breath, making sure that only her servant would hear it. The doors to the balcony were still firmly closed, but that didn't prevent her from hearing the crowd gathering on the square below. They were _loud_.

Kai was looking over some papers near the doors, and Gerda was pacing from one end of the room to the other, making Anna even more nervous. Elsa was still to appear, having retreated to her study after the morning announcement to the castle staff. Anna couldn't blame her. Anna herself would rather hide under her bed than face the crowd gathered below the balcony.

The doors flew open with such force the entire room jumped slightly, and Elsa came pacing in quickly. She confidently walked over to Anna, giving her a chaste kiss. "You look beautiful, Anna. Are you ready to do this?"

"I just have to stand next to you, looking pretty. I can do that. Just have to make sure I don't vomit or faint. Imagine if I actually had to say something. That would end badly."

Elsa smiled encouragingly. "That's why I'll be doing the talking today."

Anna nodded, taking a deep breath. Elsa returned the motion before turning to Kai. "We're ready when you are."

Kai also nodded, looking frustratingly happy as he opened the doors and walked onto the balcony. As soon as he stepped out, the crowd below hushed. "I present to you," Kai yelled out, "Queen Elsa of Arendelle!"

As soon as he was done talking and stepped aside, the crowd erupted in cheers. Elsa looped her arm through Anna's and walked onto the balcony, her queenly persona firmly in place. Anna wished she had a similar attitude, for this would be one of the moments to use it.

As soon as Elsa raised her hand, the crowd silenced again. Anna was amazed by the amount of people gathered. Sure, she knew the capital was large, and she knew there would be lots of people coming out for the announcement… But she hadn't expected to find people _everywhere_ she looked.

"Thank you, thank you!" Elsa started, her voice easily carrying across the distance, clear and steady. "Thank you for coming out, citizens of Arendelle! I feel honoured by all the goodwill you've been showing me ever since my coronation! Today, I stand before you with good news. I am certain that many of you have heard rumours concerning my supposed engagement. Now then, allow me to introduce all of you to my fiancée, Anna Oaken from Hellmark!"

Elsa paused to give the gathered crowd a chance to cheer, which they did loudly and enthusiastically. After a while, she raised her hand again, silencing them with a single motion. "Until our engagement, Anna was a commoner. Her father is a farmer. I realize this must seem strange to many of you. I also realize that many of you may find it odd for your queen to be marrying another woman. Let me just say this: Anna and I are in love. And love always finds a way. That, I think, is all that matters."

Again the crowds cheered loudly, and Anna was starting to feel a little more confident as the crowd seemed to accept her willingly. Elsa continued once she got the chance. "When the time is right, town criers will provide you with the details of our marriage. For now, however, I would ask all of you to be patient, and respect our privacy. I thank you all for your support, and bid you all a very good day!"

As they turned their backs to their audience, they started applauding and cheering yet again. Elsa resolutely walked inside, after which the doors immediately closed behind them. Once they were out of sight, Elsa's shoulders slumped as she released a long breath. "That's that."

Anna giggled. "Relieved?"

"Absolutely. Even I don't address such a large audience very often. You might have noticed that I'm not very good with people I'm not familiar with. And I do want my people to respect me, so it's important that they accept you as well."

Kai smiled kindly. "Well, Your Majesty, I think you need not worry about that. I'll approach my contacts in the city to make sure, but I believe the people are rather enthused about your engagement. The fact that Lady Oaken is not a foreign prince does not seem to matter much to them."

"Thank you, Kai," Elsa smiled. "Also, Anna will need your help in preparing for her position as Lord Chamberlaine, as well as taking over my community meetings, starting next week."

"I'd be honoured to assist in any way I can."

"Are there any duties I need to attend to today?"

"Only tonight's Yule ball, Your Majesty," Kai said with a bow. "Other than that, the day is all yours."

Elsa nodded and started leading Anna out of the room. Before the door closed behind them, though, Anna turned around. "Frida, you can take a few hours off. Meet me in my chambers at four to prepare for the ball, please?"

"Of course, Milady," Frida curtsied, trailing off in the opposite direction.

Anna followed Elsa through the corridors, ensuring their bodies remained snuggled into each other as they made their way around the castle. It didn't take the redhead long to realize where they were headed, and she wasn't surprised to find Elsa unlocking the door of the library.

The library was dark, but Elsa had the fire roaring in the hearth within minutes. "I hope you don't mind unwinding here with me for a while? We have a few hours before we need to get ready for the ball, after all. We could read for a while, or take a nap?"

"Or kiss each other senseless?" Anna returned with a hopeful smile.

"That is certainly an option as well," Elsa chuckled. "We won't be disrupted here. The library is, after all, off limits for anyone but you and me."

Anna sashayed over to Elsa, who had lowered herself in one of the chairs, making sure to sway her hips as much as she could without looking ridiculous. She gave herself a mental high-five as she noticed Elsa biting her lower lip and her hands gripping the armrests of the chair tightly. She maneuvered her skirts so that she could place her knees on either side of Elsa's legs, straddling her lap, without showing off anything indecent.

Not that there was much decency concerned with this position to begin with, but Elsa _did_ say they wouldn't be disturbed. Besides, her fiancée didn't seem to mind their positioning at all, if Anna was reading the signals correctly. And there was little chance of her mistaking _that_ look.

She placed her hands on Elsa's shoulders to stabilize herself, and gently lowered her face towards Elsa's, who was already eagerly awaiting her lips. Their lips pressed together softly, fitting each other perfectly, their noses brushing against one another as Elsa tilted her head slightly. Anna pressed on, however, deepening their kiss.

Elsa brought forth a soft hum, encouraging Anna to take a little risk and nip at Elsa's lower lip. She was both surprised and delighted to find Elsa's hand cupping her face, keeping her firmly in place, rather than breaking the kiss or reigning her in. Apparently, Elsa wanted this as much as Anna.

After a while, they were forced to pull back to catch their breaths, but the respite was short-lived as Elsa immediately crashed their mouths together again, this time more forcefully than their previous kiss. Elsa wasted no time making advances this time, her tongue flicking across Anna's lips, begging for entrance. The redhead parted her lips without hesitation, allowing their tongues to meet each other for the first time, moving around and against each other in uncoordinated but passionate movements.

As their kiss continued, their mouths and tongues growing more accustomed to each other and their movements becoming more controlled, Anna felt her hands slipping away from Elsa's shoulders, down to her sides, feeling her fiancée up through the coarse material of her bodice. Despite the offending clothing, Anna felt a flutter in her stomach at the close proximity to Elsa's body.

Anna had no idea how long they continued like that, only coming apart for a fresh intake of air, their hands wandering across the other's body. At some point, Anna moved away from Elsa's mouth, trailing kisses along Elsa's jawline while Elsa's hands trailed down her back, coming dangerously close to her backside. As Elsa's hands explored the new territory, Anna started kissing down Elsa's throat.

"A-Anna!" Elsa cried out softly. "Maybe w-we should… take a break…"

Anna bolted up straight, almost giving Elsa a head-butt in the process, and took their position in as if she only just realized what was happening. "R-Right! Of course. I don't know what we were thinking. What I was thinking, I didn't mean you weren't thinking. Oh, who am I kidding! Neither of us was thinking, I think."

Elsa merely smirked at her, cocking a single eyebrow.

"Sorry," Anna muttered, blushing ferociously.

"You did nothing wrong," Elsa assured her. "We both wanted it… And it _is_ very difficult to keep my hands of my fiancée when she looks as enchanting as you."

"Can I stay in your lap, though?"

"Definitely. Although you may want to shift to sit a little more… lady-like."

Anna shifted her legs so that they both rested on one side of Elsa, allowing her to crawl up to her. "Read something for me, please?"

She felt Elsa wriggling beneath her, trying to reach the book laying on the little side table. Once she got it and opened it, Anna relaxed to the sound of Elsa's voice.

She only caught the first few sentences of the story Elsa read to her. Sleep overtook her surprisingly swift, induced by the stressful events of the day, Elsa's soothing voice, and the warmth radiating from the fire, as well as the body that was so snuggly pressed against her own.

* * *

><p>It had stopped snowing, so Merida decided to take a walk around the castle gardens with her mother. There was something she needed to discuss, and the entire kingdom knew that her father was not actually the one in charge. No, the king made sure to obey his queen's every command. Merida didn't blame him though – Queen Elinor was one of the most frightening people she knew once she got angry.<p>

"So, Merida," Elinor started after a while. "What is it you need of me that urged you into this sudden bout of mother-daughter bonding?"

"Why can't it just be me wanting to spend time with you, Mother?" Merida asked, puffing out her chest as her mother replied with an incredulous little laugh.

"As much as I enjoy spending time with you, there is always a good reason when _you_ come to _me_."

"Well, not this time," Merida replied politely, making sure not to sound aggravated, petulant, or anything else that might set her mother of. For this plan to work, after all, she needed her mother in good spirits.

Elinor looked at her for a few long seconds, before giving a miniscule nod and continuing their walk. After a while, Merida picked the conversation up again. "Has there been any word from DunBroch since we left for Arendelle?"

Her mother cocked her head. "Twice. Everything seems quiet, but the Lord-Steward is eager for our return. I think the stress of handling a kingdom is getting to him. Since when are you interested in politics?"

Merida chuckled darkly. "I'm not, actually. But being a princess, there's no way for me to get away from having to deal with it eventually. Might as well make the best out of it." She paused for a while. "So I'm assuming we'll set sail tomorrow?"

"Most likely, yes. Helga and Corin are also leaving for Corona tomorrow, I think."

"What about Rapunzel and Eugene?" Merida asked dumbly. She knew the answer, of course, but this was the easiest way to broach the subject she had actually wanted to address with her mother today. It was hard to believe a conversation with her mother went the way _she_ had intended, for once.

"I believe they'll stay at Arendelle as Coronan ambassadors of sorts. To keep an eye on matters here."

"Doesn't DunBroch also have a vested interest in this war?"

Elinor's face clouded over. "Everyone has a vested interest in this war, love. If Arendelle falls, the north will have free access to any kingdom they choose."

"Maybe I should stay behind here too, then. Keep you and Pa informed?"

"I won't have you fighting in a war, Merida. You're the Crown-Princess of DunBroch, for heaven's sake!" Elinor bristled.

"Who said anything about fighting? I just thought it might be smart to have someone from our kingdom here. And I'm the perfect candidate. I'm not needed back home to rule the kingdom, yet I have all the knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill the functions here. Elsa and I have been friends for ages, which also helps. I _did_ have all the lessons in politics and foreign affairs, Mother. I may not have liked them much, but I did have them."

Elinor scowled for a moment, before bringing her hand to her face. "Only if you promise to stay out of trouble…"

Merida nodded solemnly. "I will. If you want, you can even take my bow with you back to DunBroch. You know I don't use any of the custom bows, so that'll prevent me from doing anything … you would deem foolish," Merida finished with a small smile.

Elinor smiled as well. "Very well, so it will be. I'm glad you're taking your position seriously, Merida."

"Yes, well. It was about time, I think. Don't you?"

Elinor merely nodded as they walked along, Merida's mind racing.

_God that could not have gone better. I'll give Mother my bow, and keep the one under my bed a secret. I'll be leading our men at the frontlines, and there's nothing she'll be able to do about it, because she'll be all the way back in DunBroch. Perfect!_

* * *

><p>Anna had thought that, this being her third ball, she would start to get used to it by now. If anything, though, she was actually more excited than ever before, not less. Maybe it was because she'd be attending as Elsa's fiancée this time, rather than just a good friend and honoured guest. Or maybe it was because her family was here too, now? She had no idea.<p>

Frida had helped her in a beautiful black dress adorned with white floral motifs, saying that Elsa had personally requested this dress for Anna. She had also supplied a large assortment of jewelry for Anna to choose from – most of which either featuring a crocus or a snowflake. One piece, however, had immediately been her favorite. It was a small choker made out of black cloth, from which two pendants hung on dainty silver chains – one a snowflake, the other a miniature griffin. Another silver chain connected the two symbols, and on that chain hung Arendelle's signature crocus.

Now she stood waiting in the small antechamber. From there, she and Elsa would walk onto the balcony and address the guests in the ballroom below, before joining the celebrations themselves. Well, Elsa would do all the addressing, of course. Or so she hoped, at least.

When Elsa stepped into the room a few minutes later, Anna couldn't help but thinking they were actually wearing the exact same dress. Upon closer inspection, however, that did not appear to be the case. Elsa's dress was also largely black, but featured no floral patterns, instead being covered in white snowflakes and frost patterns.

Elsa immediately wrapped Anna up in a hug, making sure not to disturb their dresses or hairdos, and gave her a quick and chaste peck on the lips. "You look stunning," she breathed softly.

"You as well, Moondrop." Anna's smile grew a little predatory when she saw Elsa frowning. She couldn't help but see the fun in the fact that Elsa hadn't found a suitable nickname for her yet, which caused her to frown or bite her lip every time Anna called her moondrop. It was adorable, really. "I like how our dresses match," she smiled sweetly.

"Good. I'm glad they have your approval. Now then, shall we?" Elsa took her arm again, looping it through her own, and walked through the doors to the small balcony. The shrill sound of a trumpet called everyone's attention, all heads in the room turning in their direction.

"Welcome, one and all, to the final night of Arendelle's Yule celebration! I hope you have all enjoyed the past few days, and have been pleased by the arrangements we've made for you all. I also hope that tonight might serve as an equally enjoyable finale of this year's Yule, and that we might see you again next year. Now, without further ado, I suggest we start enjoying ourselves, rather than listen to my ill-prepared speech," Elsa finished with a wry smile, earning several chuckles from the guests.

Elsa and Anna returned through the door they had come through mere seconds ago, quickly made their way down a small staircase – taking care not to trip on their dresses – and entered the ballroom through one of the small, barely visible doors in the back.

They were immediately confronted by on onslaught of noblemen and women who wanted to pass on their congratulations on their engagement, and they spent nearly half an hour rooted in place, shaking hands, showing off smiles and exchanging idle pleasantries, before the attention to them started to dwindle and they were free to walk around the ballroom themselves.

Anna had to suppress her giggles at seeing Asger and Kristoff, both dressed in immaculate suits, talking to the noblemen who were interested in their House, and its history. Or the lack thereof. She saw Kristoff pulling at the collar of his shirt from time to time, as if he were having trouble breathing.

"Frida," she said softly, almost a whisper, after which the girl seemed to materialize from thin air. "Could you go and tell Kristoff to stop ruining his suit, please? And see if you can make them a little more comfortable…"

Frida nodded and skipped off, dodging noblemen with a dexterity Anna could only be jealous of. Before she had much time to think about it, they were ambushed by Rapunzel and Merida. "Your Majesty, Milady," they curtsied politely, earning them a cold stare from Elsa.

"I thought we'd agreed not to curtsy to childhood friends?"

"Aye," Merida scoffed. "But you hardly act like a friend most of the time, now do ye?" she remarked playfully.

"Careful, _princess_, or I'll freeze you to the fountain."

Anna giggled. "Or I'll send Neva after you. I'm sure she'd appreciate the workout."

"Neva?" Rapunzel and Merida asked in tandem.

"Yes. My griffin. You know, the one made of ice that struts around much like her creator does from time to time?"

"Hey!" Elsa scowled, jabbing Anna in the side softly. "That's not a nice thing to say about your fiancée."

"You called it Neva?"

"Yes. I called _her_ Neva. Everything Elsa makes is female, you know…"

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Neva means 'snow.' Anna got the name from a dictionary. I think she went through quite a few to find a fetching name that meant either ice or snow or something similarly chilly."

"I like it," Rapunzel declared. "It's a good name."

"Perhaps," Elsa drawled. "Now, what did you come to search me out for?"

Merida laughed again. "Such an inflated ego, thinking we're here for you. Maybe we wanted to talk to Anna?"

Elsa scowled again, but neither of the princesses seemed very intimidated. Rapunzel gave Merida a thoughtful look. "That would actually have worked out better if we _had_ been looking for Anna, don't you think? As it stands, Elsa's right, and we were actually here for her."

Anna giggled at Elsa's triumphant smile and the slumping of Merida's shoulders. "You are all so weird I sometimes wonder what I've gotten myself into," she muttered, loud enough for only the three of them to hear it.

"Yes, well, no turning back now," Rapunzel smiled sweetly. "Besides, you won't be rid of us for a while longer. That's what we actually came to tell you. Our parents have decided to let us stay in Arendelle until the entire situation up north has been resolved. To support you and keep our interests safe."

"I know. The king of Corona and Queen of DunBroch already discussed it with me on the second day of Yule."

Merida's jaw fell slack. "You mean to tell me that, after all my careful planning and deliberation, mum had already... Oh, I'm going to fire an arrow at her as soon as I get the chance."

Rapunzel giggled lightly, placing her hands on Merida's shoulders to calm her down. "Not saying that you should, but _if_ you want to bring harm to your mother, do you not think it wise to use something that is not your signature weapon?"

"Aye. Can I borrow ye frying pan?"

"Absolutely not."

The conversation continued for a while, Merida asking for weapons, and Elsa banning her from the Arendelle armories, until both princesses were whisked away by their family, and Anna and Elsa found themselves walking around again. When, after an hour or so, the band started its first song, Elsa looked at Anna expectantly.

"I thought you never danced with women if there weren't other women dancing already?"

"Well, that was before I got engaged to a woman. It'd be a little odd for me not to dance with you because of your gender. Can you imagine it? 'No, I don't dance with women. I do sleep with women, but dancing is an absolute no-go.' Besides, I think it is only proper for the Queen and her fiancée to open the first dance."

Anna giggled softly. "Let's go then."

As they were waltzing down the dancefloor, Anna once again noticed all the eyes were upon them. This time, however, not with looks of disdain or confusion, but with approval and understanding. It wasn't long before others joined them, and Anna rejoiced at seeing Kristoff dancing with Frida – albeit a little clumsy. Her father seemed to be discussing something important and interesting with a group of three noblemen, looking like he was having the time of his life.

When, at the end of the first song, they left the dancefloor, Anna was somewhat surprised to find Kristoff and Frida readying themselves for a second dance. She wanted to alert Elsa to it, but they were confronted by two men, looking remarkably nervous.

"Lord Leidorf, Lord Ordin," Elsa said semi-cordially. Anna's amazement at the amount of different tones in which Elsa could speak never seemed to end. Rather than speaking herself, she nodded with a shy smile.

"Your Majesty, Milady," they said with a deep curtsy – deeper than was really necessary – "We felt it was prudent for us to apologize for our behavior at the council meeting. We were… ignorant, biased and unnecessarily rude. We do hope there are no hard feelings."

Anna softly squeezed Elsa's arm, which had tensed up since the men started talking, in the hopes that she'd understand the meaning. Immediately after, her arm relaxed and Elsa let out a long breath. "No hard feeling indeed, good lords, as long as that works both ways. While it was not my idea, or my choice, to expel you from the Grand Council, I imagine I would have been able to prevent it if I had tried harder."

The men looked up, clearly surprised by Elsa's moderate answer. "We did not give you much reason to try and help us, Your Majesty. Now, if you'd excuse us, please."

Elsa nodded. "Certainly. Enjoy your evening, gentlemen."

They continued their walk, and before long they found themselves standing near Asger Oaken and the group of men that were still talking to him.

"No, no! You see, taxes decreasing does not help. Sometimes you can't raise the price of your produce, while the price of equipment and necessary materials keep rising. Taxes don't change that, ya? That would merely be a short-term solution to the problem, but instead we should invest in a long-term solution. Even if that does not work immediately, hm?"

"Certainly, but will farms be able to survive the time it takes for those long-term solutions to come to fruition?" one of the nobles asked, twirling the end of his moustache around his finger.

"If not, their finances weren't healthy, hm? I think my farm has reserves to last three years without our annual income, so preparation is all it takes."

"Actually, father, I think the farm could last a little longer, provided you're careful with spending the money," Anna chimed in.

All the men curtsied to her, looking at her with interest. "I used to take care of the finances for Father. Well, I imagine I still do… Actually, Elsa? Can I still do that?"

"I don't see why not, if you can find the time."

"Awesome."

Elsa looked away, noticing Queen Elinor coming towards them. "Anna, I'm sure you'll be alright without me for a while, correct?"

"Of course, Elsa. Go and have some fun. No need to babysit me," Anna replied with a teasing lilt in her voice, causing Elsa to roll her eyes dramatically and mutters '_children_' under her breath.

Anna watched as Elsa walked off with the cross-looking queen, and stayed with her father for a while. After some time, though, their conversation about farming politics became dreadfully boring, spurting Anna to go and – once again – check out the table where the treats were kept.

Unlike usually, several people now curtsied or dipped their heads as she passed by them, which was still a little strange for Anna. That was swiftly forgotten due to the large quantities of chocolate that were displayed on one of the tables, and she soon found herself stuffing her face.

A hand on her shoulder caught her attention, and she turned around – discreetly wiping her face clean while doing so – to find a dashing young man standing in front of her. His face was handsome, and he wore his long, jet-black hair in a ponytail. "Milady, such a pleasure to make you acquaintance. Lord Haring of Corona, at your service," he smiled as he bowed to her.

Anna nodded her head. "Likewise, Lord Haring. What can I do for you?"

The man looked up again, his charm from before slowly turning into something more predatory. "I just wanted to remark on the sadness of this day. To have such a beautiful young woman as yourself bind herself to… someone like Queen Elsa. I do not suppose I could convince you to break the engagement, could I? I would be more than interested in taking care of you, you can be certain of that. After all, with a woman, children will not be an option. You'd be cooped up here, in this dinky old castle all the time. I can imagine that the monetary argument for marrying a queen is quite strong, but I do live comfortably myself, if I may say so."

Anna opened her mouth to tell the man to get out of her kingdom – not technically _her_ kingdom, but still – and never return, but a little throb around her finger alerted her to the fact that there was really no need.

Only seconds later, she felt a chilly hand on her bare shoulder, and an arm snaking around her waist. The air around the three of them grew chilly, although none of the other guests seemed to notice anything. Anna merely gave the man in front of her a satisfied smirk as his skin started to grow paler and his breath became visible.

"Is this man bothering you, my love?" Elsa asked with a dangerously low voice.

"Not for much longer, I think," Anna replied sweetly, her smirk still in place.

Elsa shifted her attention to the man in front of her. "I do not take kindly to anyone preying on what's mine. Lady Anna is _mine_. It would serve you well to never forget that again, Lord Haring. The consequences would be… _quite_ unpleasant."

The temperature started to return to normal just as Lord Haring's hair started growing white with frost and his lips started becoming a blueish purple. Anna cocked an eyebrow. "Is Arendelle's cold getting to you, My Lord? Maybe it would be best for you to turn in for the night."

Lord Haring barely managed to give a little nod before he started scurrying away from them. Anna turned to Elsa, who was pinching the bridge of her nose with a pained expression. "Something wrong, Moondrop?"

"I'm sorry, Anna."

"What? For what? I mean, ugh. Words. What are you sorry for?"

"I did not mean to label you as my property. It sounded a lot more crude than I intended it."

Anna quickly looked around them, but for a change nobody was paying attention to them. She laughed softly as she stepped closer to Elsa, placing her hands on her hips. "That's alright. You didn't upset me," she said. She moved her mouth closer to Elsa's ear. "Besides," she whispered throatily, "I _am_ yours, aren't I?"

She felt Elsa's breathing hitch and her muscles tense at those words, causing a teasing grin to form on her face. She pulled back and gave her a quick kiss. "Now, come on! I want to dance some more before the night ends."

Elsa followed her wordlessly, still processing Anna's whispered words. And just for a moment, Anna thought that maybe she'd accidentally broken Elsa. But then she looked back, and she saw a smile forming on Elsa's face that did not just show on her lips, but even presented itself in the sparkle of her eyes. It was one of the most radiant smiles she'd seen from Elsa so far.


End file.
